Governor Parson Announces Nearly 500,000 MO VIP Entries

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) –  Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced an official total of 495,296 MO VIP entries for the first drawing, which took place on  Friday.

The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more than 3 million Missourians who have already made the decision to be protected through vaccination.

“MO VIP is playing a role in driving up vaccinations in our state,” said Governor Parson. “As Governor, I have worked hard to ensure that vaccines are widely available to all Missourians and focused on encouraging our citizens to get the facts from trusted experts. We’re excited to celebrate the winners and their choice to become vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Since the MO VIP launch on July 21, 2021, the state’s vaccine dashboard at MOStopsCovid.com/data shows more than 300,000 doses have been administered. More than 180,000 individuals have initiated vaccination in the same time period. More than 50 percent of the eligible population (12 and up) has completed vaccination.

“Everyone who gets vaccinated and enters this drawing is a winner in my mind, regardless of whether they receive a prize,” said DHSS Acting Director Robert Knodell. “We know the vaccines give protection against severe illness, hospitalizations and death we have seen with COVID-19 – that’s the true definition of winning.”

Eighty winners were randomly selected during the drawing from both the Red and White categories (10 from each congressional district). These individuals will each receive a cash prize of $10,000. In addition, 20 adolescents from the Blue category will be randomly selected to receive a $10,000 education savings account through the Missouri State Treasurer’s MOST 529 program. A total of 900 individuals will be rewarded through MO VIP through October.

Entries have been divided into three categories:

• Red:     Missourians age 18 and up receiving at least one dose of vaccine on or after July 21.
• White:  Missourians age 18 and up receiving at least one dose of vaccine before July 21.
• Blue:    Missourians ages 12 to 17 receiving at least one dose of vaccine at any time.

To allow time for records and eligibility to be verified, confirmed winners will be announced two weeks following each drawing. Entries were accepted online through 11:59 p.m. on August 11, 2021, for the first drawing.

Missourians can still enter for the remaining drawings and only need to enter once.

Official rules, frequently asked questions and a program timeline are available at MOStopsCovid.com/win.

Get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines and find a vaccine near you at MOStopsCovid.com.