Nineteen states rolled out lotteries for COVID-19 vaccine recipients, but none of them saw increased vaccination rates as a result, according to a study published Oct. 15 in JAMA Health Forum.
The research team compared vaccination rates in the 19 states before and after they announced their lotteries, finding the difference was "statistically indistinguishable from zero."
The study demonstrates the need to reassess how governments encourage people to get vaccinated, Andrew Friedson, PhD, one of the study's authors, said in a news release.
"Drawings were not, by any means, an informative vaccine promotional strategy," Dr. Friedson said. "It’s highly possible that putting funds toward clear and complete messaging on vaccination would have been far more effective, such as awareness campaigns or more aggressive countermeasures against misinformation."