By Gabriella Payne
Victorians have rolled up their sleeves in droves recently for the Covid-19 vaccine and as one local resident knows, it certainly pays to get the jab!
Like many others, young Narre Warren local Stephanie was eager to get vaccinated and do her bit for the community and when she heard about the new nation-wide vaccine lottery, the ‘Million Dollar Vax Campaign’, she thought she may as well enter.
“I saw the ad on TV [for the Million Dollar Vax Campaign] and I thought, why not? It can’t hurt to pop my details in,” Stephanie said, who had already received both her jabs.
“I thought there’s no way I’ll ever win… but then I got an email saying that I’d won a $1,000 gift card and I couldn’t believe it!”
As part of the Million Dollar Vax Campaign, one hundred $1,000 gift cards (like the one Stephanie won) are being drawn daily throughout October (totalling 3,100 gift cards all up) and the major prize – the million dollar cash incentive – will be drawn at the end of the promotion, on November 5.
Any Australian aged 18 years or over who receives at least one Covid-19 vaccination shot on or before October 31, 2021 is eligible to enter the competition and to be eligible to receive prizes, entrants must be fully vaccinated by December 13.
So far, the initiative has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with over 1.7 million people entering and although only one inoculated person will take out the top prize, there are plenty of gift card prizes to be won.
Stephanie said that she had never expected anything to come from entering the vaccine lottery, but winning this prize had been “an added bonus” and she had inspired others in her family to get involved too.
“When we first saw the ad, my mum and I both entered the competition, but since winning the gift card I’ve convinced my sister, my auntie and my dad to sign up too which is great, but it also means I have less chance to win a million dollars now,” she laughed.
Stephanie said that she had always been eager to get vaccinated, as she couldn’t wait to see things return to some form of normality and getting the jab was the clear pathway out of lockdown.
“I wanted to get vaccinated because I wanted to go out and about when restrictions lifted, and obviously fully vaccinated people have greater freedoms,” she said.
“I knew it was a race to get vaccinated and I wanted to help in any way that I could – so this little congratulations was a really nice bonus.”
For more information about the Million Dollar Vax Campaign, head to www.milliondollarvax.com
