With hospitals strained, Mesa County turns to cash prizes to encourage vaccinations
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — In addition to drought and record-setting heat, Mesa County, Colorado remains in the fight with another familiar foe: COVID-19.
Recent outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus and its highly contagious variants, combined with some of the state's lowest vaccination rates, have pressured the Mesa County Public Health Department to respond. Together with community partners, the department launched a vaccination sweepstakes that coincides with the state’s “Colorado Comeback Cash” weekly drawing.
Dubbed the Big Shot Giveaway, Mesa County’s sweepstakes hopes to incentivize people to get the COVID-19 vaccination with cold, hard cash. Each week until the end of July, two vaccinated residents (who have either their first or second dose) will receive $500. The pool of winners comes from people who register on Mesa County Public Health’s website within a week of getting either dose of the vaccine.
Fully vaccinated residents have the chance to win the jackpot, which is capped at $90,000. Each time someone gets vaccinated, the jackpot—which as of June 14 had $52,565 in it—will increase by one dollar.
Anyone who has received a COVID-19 vaccination in Mesa County can sign up to win the grand prize.
With vaccinations now open to anyone ages 12 and up, younger people are getting in on the action. For recent Fruita Monument High School graduate Ford Powell, choosing to get the vaccine was not a popular decision among his classmates. However, the incentive could help with his future plans.
“Even people that I graduated with, they don’t see the complete use for it,” Powell said of the vaccine. “A cool $500 in a week would be real nice going into college.”
Mesa County continues to struggle with the virus as vaccination rates have slowed, and the highly contagious “Delta variant” of COVID-19 continues to spread; it’s now the dominant variant in Mesa County, according to the public health department’s COVID-19 data dashboard.
Of Colorado counties with a population greater than 100,000, Mesa County is in last place when it comes to vaccines. As of June 17, just 43 percent of Mesa County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Meanwhile, Mesa County has one of the worst two-week incidence levels of COVID-19 in the state, and hospital capacity is strained.
“We were holding strong and then we got these outbreaks,” said Stefany Busch of Mesa County Public Health. “With CDC guidance, individuals who have been vaccinated can take off the mask, but it’s an honor system there, so that does make things more difficult.”
Winners are announced every week and the sweepstakes will run until July 31. If enough people are vaccinated by the end of July and the grand prize does indeed grow to $90,000, Mesa County will have reached its goal of 70 percent of residents fully vaccinated. Anyone in Mesa county who received a vaccination after June 1 can be eligible for the weekly giveaway.
To sign up for the Big Shot Giveaway, click here.
For information regarding COVID-19 in Mesa County, visit the Mesa County Public Health COVID-19 data dashboard.
Matt Thornton is a multimedia journalist with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at matthewthornton@rmpbs.org.