New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the “Vax and Scratch” program — which provides free NYS lottery scratch-off tickets to individuals 18 and older with a grand prize of $5 million — will extend into next week at 10 new state mass vaccination sites. The participating sites will be open from Monday, May 31 through June 4. All sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The program will not impact education funding.
“After seeing significant interest in our Vax and Scratch program, we are ecstatic to extend it in order to encourage more New Yorkers to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations,” Governor Cuomo said. “The vaccine is free, accessible, and effective. New Yorkers should take advantage of this incentive while doing the best thing they can to protect their communities from the spread of the COVID virus.”
The ticket, which is sold by retailers across the state for $20, will be provided free to individuals 18+ who take their first dose of Pfizer or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at one of the sites. The sites are open to both walk-ins and appointments.