First winners announced in Nevada vaccine incentive program

By SHANNON MILLER

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    LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — The first round of winners in Nevada’s vaccine incentive program have been announced, but not without some disruption.

During the Vax Nevada Days event on Thursday, an unknown man disrupted the meeting with a megaphone, claiming that vaccines are harming people. In the other hand, the man held a tripod mounted with a smartphone, which he appeared to be filming himself with.

Security escorted the man out of the event, which was held at the College of Southern Nevada campus in North Las Vegas.

“There’s an individual that doesn’t understand that vaccines are totally safe. They’ve been tested and are helping save lives, which is what we’re doing,” Sisolak said after the man was escorted out.

“There’s always going to be haters but no state is more resilient than the state of Nevada. And we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we vaccinate every person that wants the vaccine,” he said.

Gov. Steve Sisolak was joined by Rep. Steven Horsford and CSN President Dr. Federico Zaragoza to announce the winners of the vaccine program, which enters residents in a drawing to win prizes only if they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and are in the state’s Nevada WebIZ immunization record system. The program was announced in June as $5 million in cash prizes including college savings programs and fishing licenses to be doled out to nearly 2,000 vaccinated residents.

Before the checks were presented, Sisolak said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has answered Nevada’s call for vaccine outreach assistance in Southern Nevada. The governor had said earlier this month that the state was seeking federal assistance to curb the increase in cases and hospitalizations in Southern Nevada, which officials say have been exacerbated by low vaccination rates in some ZIP codes and the Delta variant.

“FEMA has answered the call and will be on the ground in Southern Nevada next week,” Sisolak said.

Awards announced on Thursday included college savings awards of $5,000, $20,000 and $50,000. One woman was awarded a $250,000 cash prize.

Vaccine program winner announcements will be made every Thursday from July 8 through August 26, when the grand prize winner of $1 million will be announced.

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