How desperate is Maryland to get everyone “fully vaccinated” (which means three shots for most people at this point) before the end of the winter? Governor Larry Hogan, who for some inexplicable reason isn’t running for the Senate this year, has announced a new incentive program to “boost” the number of people rolling up their sleeves. The state is putting up one million dollars in prizes to be randomly awarded to people who agree to get a booster shot. One lucky guinea pig, er… patient will receive half a million bucks while ten others will be awarded $50K. Of course, all they are doing is giving away a combination of the state taxpayers’ own money and the federal tax dollars shoveled out through the COVID relief bills, so it’s no skin off of Hogan’s back, right? But we’re probably not supposed to bring up that inconvenient fact, I suppose. (NY Post)

Maryland is hoping a financial shot in the arm will entice state residents to get a COVID-19 booster.

A $2 million lottery would be split between 12 randomly selected adults who had received an additional dose, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday.

Half a million dollars would be awarded to a boosted adult on Feb. 15, followed by ten weekly $50,000 prizes, the Republican said. The one million dollar haul would then be handed out at the end of the promotion.

I’ll just point out a distinct change in Hogan’s language from similar announcements he made last year. Back then Maryland residents were informed of the need to be vaccinated to “flatten the curve” and “stop the spread,” or “protect your community.” This week the Governor claimed that Omicron was one reason to get a booster shot, but also because getting boosted will “help us all finally move on from this pandemic.”

Yet another elected official has come to the realization that people are no longer living in fear and terror. What people really want is for this to be over and to get back to their normal lives. So that’s the carrot that’s being dangled before everyone now. Do what we tell you and maybe we’ll let you resume your normal lives. It’s almost as bad as the threats being issued over school mask mandates where too many officials have suggested a failure to mask up could result in your kids being sent back to remote learning at home.

As with previous “lottery” schemes like this one, the same questions should be applied. First of all, almost half of all eligible Marylanders have already gotten their boosters. Where is their shot at the money? While we’re on that subject, I’ve gotten seven vaccinations over the past fourteen months (including two for the flu and two for shingles). I should be due something in the range of a quarter-million dollars at this point, shouldn’t I?

Here’s another question. What about all of the people who managed to not only get fake (but very official-looking) vaccination cards, but to get them from someone who could enter their names into the state database tracking vaccinations? Will their names be put automatically into this lottery? I can’t imagine how the state could filter them out. It would be a real kick in the pants for one of those fakers to not only game the medical recording system but be paid a half-million dollars as a reward for doing so, wouldn’t it?

These scams have been cropping up all over the place. Last year, New York started offering scratch-off tickets for a five million dollar lottery to anyone getting a shot. Many other states had similar plans in place, dangling everything from cash to free beer to those agreeing to take the vaccine. But when was the last time somebody offered you money or prizes to get a flu shot? I’ll answer that one for you. It’s never happened.