* Hannah Meisel…
The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs is deploying a fix so the more than 89,000 veterans, veteran spouses and others who received their COVID vaccines at federal VA facilities have a chance at winning Illinois’ vaccine lottery.
Gov. JB Pritzker last week announced Illinois’ “All In For The Win” lottery promotion, which will give away $10 million in cash prizes and scholarships to vaccinated Illinoisans in July and August. The lottery, funded by federal stimulus dollars, is meant to be an incentive to boost vaccine uptake in the state after demand was waned in the last two months.
But the contest’s narrow exceptions from eligibility included those who received vaccines at federal facilities like prisons or VA hospitals, saying the feds couldn’t provide the Illinois Department of Public Health with a list of Illinoisans who were vaccinated at those facilities, and it wasn’t possible for those individuals to submit vaccine records to IDPH.
However, after veterans — including State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) — raised the issue with Pritzker’s office, the administration asked the VA for help with a fix.
Kifowit didn’t blame Pritzker’s administration on Monday, but said leaving thousands out of the lottery was likely “an indication that not enough veterans are serving in elected office.” She also pointed to state and federal systems that don’t communicate well with each other — an issue that goes well beyond immunization records.
- Jane - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 5:40 am:
Veterans always are an after thought for folks in government and that applies to government contracting opportunities, cannabis business opportunities or a simple vaccine lottery. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault necessarily but because not many government staff are not veterans, they don’t seem to pay close attention to this important issue until a problem arises.
- Ron - In Texas - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 7:49 am:
@Jane
“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault necessarily but because not many government staff are not veterans”
This is so true. the ratio of vets in .gov civilian work has pretty steadily dropped over the years. My work with civilian and DOD agencies has been interesting in seeing the different mindset for vets.
But this has been happening for several decades. results of the all voluntary force. Its just this thing where vets are seen as this different group that speaks differently, has diff experiences, etc, etc.
No one’s fault. just a changing demo in the gov.
- Cheswick - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 8:34 am:
My daughter who has her permanent address in her home state of Illinois is an active-duty milspouse who got her vaccinations in the state where she resides. I wish there was a way that she could enter the lottery drawing.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 9:12 am:
The lottery was not well thought out. It’s use as a PR effort to encourage vaccinations gets a black eye whenever issues like Kifowit’s and Cheswick’s come to light which also raise concerns about how accurate Illinoiis published vaccination figures actually are.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 9:43 am:
Cheswick, I have a kid going to school in Kansas who got their shot in Missouri I wish could be entered too.
I will say including the federal records is a good step.
- Fred C. Dobbs - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 2:07 pm:
I thought my medical records were private. What if I don’t want my vaccination record to be used in a very public ‘vaccination lottery’? What if I don’t want my kids records to be used? Shouldn’t that be my decision? Is there an opt out provision?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 2:14 pm:
===What if I don’t want ===
Dude. You ever heard of the Google? Don’t be so lazy and whiny
https://allin.illinois.gov/assets/all-in-for-the-win.pdf
- DuPage Dem - Tuesday, Jun 22, 21 @ 4:29 pm:
There were always going to be kinks that needed ironing out. That doesn’t mean the state shouldn’t throw everything at the wall to try and get people vaccinated. Sounds like a reasonable solution to the problem. I’m glad we are still doing everything we can to you our vaccination numbers.