Social media reacts to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s COVID-19 vaccine incentive lottery

Bill Lukitsch
·3 min read
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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a COVID-19 vaccine incentive program on Wednesday as the state is dealing with a surge of cases and hospitalizations.

State residents who get the vaccine could win $10,000 in cash or $10,000 toward education savings under the new plan. The program is administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in partnership with the Missouri Lottery.

Reaction to the new plan on social media was immediate.

“Winners will be all Cattle herders from Sedalia, Mexico and Poplar Bluff you know it…. I know it….,” wrote one user on Twitter.

The City of Lee’s Summit advertised the plan via Twitter along with a link with information for getting the vaccine.

“All right, all right, all right. Could you use $10K? Just in from Gov. Parson: 900 Missourians who have or will choose to be vaccinated will win $10K in $ or education savings,” the city said on Twitter.

“Why didn’t you call this ‘Show Me the Money’? It’s so obvious,” another wrote.

Kids Win Missouri, a St. Louis based group that seeks to help Missouri children, said “getting vaccinated, we can protect our children, our communities and beat COVID-19.”

The Missouri House Democrats said the incentive program should have rolled out “BEFORE we fostered the Delta variant and became literally the worst state in the nation for new COVID cases.”

Dan Mehan, president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, applauded the governor for the program, saying “we need to be using all the tools at our disposal to promote these safe, effective vaccines.”