375,000 Missourians enter vaccine lottery; drawing Friday

(AP) More than 375,000 Missourians have entered the state’s COVID-19 vaccine lottery program, but vaccinations continue to lag, especially in rural areas of the state. State officials say the first of five drawings will be Friday. All told, 800 adults will win $10,000 cash prizes, and 100 people ages 12-17 will win education savings accounts worth $10,000. Only those who have initiated vaccination are eligible. Republican Gov. Mike Parson announced the incentive program on July 21. State officials say that vaccinations have risen nearly 50% in the past month. But Missouri continues to lag far behind most states in vaccinations. State data though shows that the city of Joplin leads the state with 56.2% of residents having at least one shot of the vaccine.