Mid-Missourians are winners in vaccination lottery

Seven people from Cole County and a Moniteau County resident came away winners after the first drawing for Missouri's vaccination lottery, known as MO VIP.

Seven adults - Michele Derleth, Lisa Kindle, Charles Teitelbaum, Sydney Trachsel and Daniel Walsh, each of Jefferson City; Lisa Woehrer, of Russellville; and Cory Reynolds, of Jamestown - won cash prizes of $10,000 each.

Hope Roettgen, of Jefferson City, won a $10,000 education savings account.

The winners' names were drawn Aug. 13. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the winners Wednesday.

Anyone age 12 and older with at least a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is eligible to enter the lottery at MOStopsCovid.com/win. Drawings are conducted by the Missouri Lottery every two weeks until Oct. 8. The next drawing is Friday.

In an effort to make the lottery more fair, participants are divided into three categories: Missourians age 18 or older vaccinated after July 21 are in the red category, while those vaccinated before July 21 are in the white category and Missourians ages 12-17 vaccinated at any time are in the blue category.

Eighty winners will be drawn from each of the red and white categories every two weeks, and 20 winners will be drawn from the blue category every two weeks. Adolescents will be awarded a $10,000 education savings account instead of the cash prize.

Ten of the first 180 winners have yet to be verified. They have until 5 p.m. Friday to complete any necessary documentation that verifies their identities and vaccination status.