At a June 2 press conference about the state s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Jared Polis shared the details of a contest that will award $50,000 scholarships to 25 kids in the twelve-to-seventeen-year age range who ve been vaccinated. But he also offered some spin related to the previously announced series of five $1 million drawings for immunized Coloradans eighteen and older. While he noted that officials weren t expecting a big surge in the number of people getting shots a good thing, because there hasn t been one yet he explained that they merely wanted to prevent a precipitous decline in participation.
Without the announcement of the Colorado Comeback Cash drawings, Polis maintained that there would have been a greater drop-off in interest because those most excited got vaccinated early on. The danger is that others will put it off like most of us would put off going to the dentist or getting a shot. We re giving them a reason to do it now.