You can win big for getting your COVID-19 shot in Missouri. 6 key things to know

Gov. Mike Parson announced Wednesday that Missourians who get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible to win $10,000 prizes. Here’s what to know about the program, the prizes and where you can get your shot.

What are the prizes?

A total of 900 residents will win prizes of $10,000 cash or $10,000 toward education savings. Parson’s announcement came as the virus is surging across the state, with 2,229 new cases reported Wednesday — the highest since mid-January.

The incentive effort centers on five drawings that will begin on Aug. 13. Drawings will occur every two weeks, with a final one set for Oct. 8, according to the governor’s office.

In each drawing, 180 people will win prizes: 80 adults at least partially-vaccinated by July 21, 80 adults vaccinated after July 21, and 20 residents 12 to 17 who are at least partially vaccinated.

The state also will provide money for local public health departments to give $25 to each person who gets vaccinated.

How do I register for the vaccine incentives?

Missourians who have received at least one dose of the vaccine can sign up to enter now at MOStopsCovid.com/win. Also listed on the website are official rules and frequently asked questions.

Those who can’t sign up online can get assistance by calling the COVID-19 hotline from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 877-435-8411.

Three categories of individuals will be eligible: adults who have received at least one dose of vaccine before July 21, adults who have received at least one dose after July 21, and those under 18.

Where can I get vaccinated?

COVID-19 vaccines are readily available in the Kansas City area. If you’re ready to get the shot, there are plenty of places you can go.

Children’s Mercy, the University of Kansas Health System, Olathe Health, and AdventHealth Shawnee Mission are all offering vaccines. Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, the Platte County Health Department, the City of Kansas City, Jackson County and Clay County are providing vaccine clinics. Pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are also offering the shot.

COVID-19 vaccines are also available at the Kansas City Health Department at 2400 Troost Ave. The health department is also offering walk-up vaccinations at Smith Hale Middle School on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To find pharmacies or other vaccine providers, go to vaccines.gov.

When will vaccines be available for those under 12 years old?

Children under the age of 12 are not currently eligible for the vaccine, and it’s unclear how long the ongoing trials or regulatory reviews for children younger than 12 will take. But Dr. Anthony Fauci has suggested eligibility could happen this year.

“We think by the time we get to the end of this year we will have enough information to vaccinate children of any age,” he said in May.

Those 12 and older are eligible. To find pharmacies or other vaccine providers, go to vaccines.gov.

The earliest Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine could become approved for children under 12 is November, according to Dr. Barbara Pahud, who is leading a clinical trial at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.

The hospital’s study, which began in April, includes a group of children over the age of five and a group under five.

Those over five are getting their second doses and doing follow-up visits. Those younger are still in the initial phase of visits.

The FDA requires a minimum of two months of safety follow-up data.

Do vaccines protect against the delta variant?

The currently available COVID-19 vaccines offer adequate protection against the delta variant and other variants of concern spreading in the U.S.

A study from Public Health England found that three weeks after one dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 33% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the delta variant. Two weeks following the second dose, which is recommended for full protection, it was 88% effective.

New results from a laboratory study showed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appears effective against the delta variant, with just a “modest reduction” in antibody levels compared to the original strain.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine also spurred antibody activity against the delta variant, the company announced, and “at an even higher level” compared to that of the beta variant first identified in South Africa. In all, it was 85% effective against severe/critical disease and protected against hospitalization and death.

While the vaccines currently protect against the delta variant, the virus could eventually mutate to evade the shots’ defenses, experts say. Masks would add an extra layer of protection for the vaccinated, and even more so for the unvaccinated who are at higher risk of infection, as researchers learn more about the delta variant.

If I am vaccinated and showing symptoms, should I get tested?

The short answer is yes. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that “anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection.” The CDC says those getting tested because they have symptoms should stay away from others pending test results as well as follow the advice of your healthcare provider.

Though the risk is low that fully vaccinated people could become infected with COVID-19, anyone experiencing symptoms should isolate themselves from others, be clinically evaluated for the coronavirus and tested, the CDC says.

If you’re fully vaccinated, you do not need to be tested after being exposed to someone with COVID-19, provided you have no symptoms.



The Star’s Jack Grieve, Jonathan Shorman, Jeanne Kuang and Luke Nozicka contributed reporting.