October 4, 2021
If cutting the risk of dying or getting seriously ill from COVID-19 (or decreasing the risk of passing the disease on to your loved ones and friends) isn’t enough to convince you to get vaccinated, how about a chance at winning a million dollars?
The Million Dollar Vax campaign has been created by the Million Dollar Vax Alliance, a group of philanthropists and corporations with the aim to increase Australian COVID-19 vaccination rates above 80 per cent nationally as quickly as possible in a safe manner.
Entry into the Million Dollar Vax is eligible for any Australian resident aged 18 or over who receives at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot on or before October 31, 2021.
To be eligible to receive prizes, entrants must be fully vaccinated by December 13.
The total Million Dollar Vax prize pool is $4.1 million. This includes:
- 100 x $1000 gift cards drawn daily throughout October (total 3100 x $1000 gift cards)
- 1 x $1 million cash prize drawn at the end of the promotion (on November 5)
Entries into the Million Dollar Vax can be made online
“The purpose of the promotion is not to convince people to be vaccinated,” Craig Winkler, of the Million Dollar Vax Alliance, said.
“That’s a decision you should make in consultation with a health professional.
“The promotion simply seeks to reward people who decide to be vaccinated now rather than waiting, so that we can reduce the community impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The aim is to accelerate Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program in a safe way throughout the month of October. The faster we reach higher vaccination rates nationally, higher than 80 per cent, the sooner we all can safely resume our full range of community and business activity.”
Philanthropy Australia CEO Jack Heath said the campaign was “strategic philanthropy in action”
“(It’s) a collaborative, targeted intervention that will save lives, ease the burden on healthcare workers, and benefit the wider community,” he said.
All Australians aged 18 and over are eligible to enter, with those already vaccinated still eligible to win, provided both vaccinations have been received by six weeks after October 31, 2021.
The Million Dollar Vax was inspired by the Ohio “Vax-A-Million” campaign in the United States.
