PERRYSBURG, Ohio — A push to stop the Ohio Vax-a-Million drawing is underway in state legislature.
The number of people 16 and older getting vaccinated spiked just after Gov. Mike DeWine announced the Vax-a-Million drawing.
Data from the Ohio Department of Health shows that number jumped by 28% in the three days that followed.
"I think the facts show that once we put this in place there has been a lot more excitement about vaccines and we've seen vaccines go up," said DeWine in a press conference Monday.
But still, there is push to stop the drawing, or at least prevent it from happening in the future.
Several state lawmakers are against to the lottery style incentive. While it has not yet been formally introduced, House Bill 168 is an attempt to prevent the lottery from happening.
Many Ohio lawmakers like state Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, say it is a big misuse of taxpayer dollars.
"This isn't something that was discussed with the legislature. If there are private incentives to encourage people to get a vaccine, those are private incentives. But these are tax dollars," saidGhanbari.
The prize money for Vax-a-Million will come from federal relief funds, already allocated to the Ohio Department of Health. DeWine has said the lottery is a legitimate and legal use for the money.
While Ghanbari supports this legislation, he acknowledges there is almost no way for it to stop the scheduled drawings from happening, as there is not enough time. However, if approved, the legislation could prevent future similar drawings.
"There isn't a process nimble enough that would be able to stop this vaccination lottery from taking place," said Ghanbari.
The first Vax-a-Million winner will be announced on Wednesday.