Ohio set to announce the first set of winners of Vax-a-Million lottery

An Ohio adult and a child will be announced as the first winners of the state’s coronavirus vaccine incentive program which features winnings of up $1 million for adults 18 and older and full college scholarships for teens.

Earlier this month, Gov. Mike DeWine announced the vaccine program in an attempt to bolster the number of Ohioans who got their vaccination against COVID-19. Since the announcement, more than 2.5 million residents registered for the grand prize winnings, and 100,000 teens registered to win the scholarship, according to The Associated Press.

A woman walks into Ohio's COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic at Cleveland State University, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Cleveland. Nearly 2.8 million residents have registered for Ohio's Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive program, with participants hoping to win either the $1 million prize for adults or a full-ride college scholarship for children, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday, May 24. The winners will be announced Wednesday night at the end of the Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion TV show, and then each Wednesday for the next four weeks. (Tony Dejak/)

In the week following DeWine’s announcement, the number of recipients of the coronavirus vaccine increased by 33%. So far, over 5 million Ohioans are at least partially vaccinated and 4.6 million residents are fully vaccinated.

On Monday afternoon, the Ohio Lottery drew the first names using a random number generator and those winners will have their eligibility confirmed before the announcement.

Winners of the prizes will be announced on Wednesdays over the next four weeks.