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In an effort to encourage more New Yorkers to get vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to roll out a one-week incentive program giving a lottery ticket to anyone who gets a Covid-19 shot at a state-run site. The “Vax & Scratch” program, which runs May 24-28, will give adults vaccinated at one of the 10 state-run sites one scratch-off ticket for the New York Lottery, which has a first prize of $5 million and other prizes going down to $20. The tickets have a one-in-nine chance of being a winner, Mr. Cuomo said Thursday as he announced the incentive. (Grayce West, 5/20)

Coronavirus vaccinations in Ohio jumped 28 percent in the days following the governor's announcement of a lottery for residents who get the shots, state health officials said Thursday. Vaccinations among people 16 and older had been down 25 percent May 7 to 10, compared to the previous weekend. After Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced the lottery on May 12, and vaccination rates increased 28 percent in the period of May 14 to 17, the state Department of Health said. Residents who have been vaccinated will be eligible for five drawings of $1 million each. (Sullivan, 5/20)

Forty daily drawings for $40,000 each and a $400,000 Fourth of July jackpot. Get at least one jab and you’ve got a shot. Maryland’s latest effort to encourage people to get vaccinated will shower cash — a total of $2 million — on top of protection against COVID-19 for those who roll up their sleeves. Any Maryland resident 18 or older who received a coronavirus vaccine shot in the state at any point will be entered automatically to win the prizes, which the Maryland Lottery will pay from its marketing and promotional budget. (Mann and Stole, 5/20)

Ever since Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that his state will hold a lottery each week for five weeks -- awarding randomly selected residents $1 million if they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 -- the nation has been abuzz about the idea. Well, it now looks like Gov. Kate Brown is prepared to announce a similar lottery effort to encourage Oregonians to get shots. (Green, 5/20)

In late April, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice made a major announcement: Any state resident between 16 and 35 who got vaccinated for Covid-19 would receive a $100 savings bond. “I’m trying to come up with a way that’s truly going to motivate them — and us — to get over the hump,” Justice said in a statement released after the press conference. (Cortes, 5/20)

Starting this week, the White House is hoping Americans swipe right for Covid vaccines, partnering with a series of prominent dating apps to offer incentives to customers who've been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vaccinated users on Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, Bumble, and Badoo will gain access to premium content "like boosts, super likes, and super swipes" with proof of vaccination, according to the White House. Users will also be able to filter potential matches by vaccination status or book vaccination appointments through the apps. (Judd, 5/21)

The White House is hoping that the urge to merge will motivate more Americans to get vaccinated, teaming up with nine of the largest dating sites to offer badges and other perks to those who have gotten their COVID-19 shot. The White House has an ambitious goal to get 70 percent of American adults to have had at least their first vaccine shot by July 4. (Fried, 5/21)

From the East Coast to the West, health officials are taking the Covid-19 vaccines on the road. Across the country, nurses, technicians, emergency medical workers and community partners are rolling up to the doorsteps, streets and churches of people who are homeless, who live in areas without reliable transportation or who have no internet access. Their goal: to reach the unvaccinated stragglers in overlooked neighborhoods, plugging a vulnerable gap in the nationwide effort to outmaneuver death. Some people are encumbered by jobs or the responsibility of child care. Others struggle with dire poverty. Many are adrift, out of reach or uninformed. (Hauser and Fremson, 5/20)

The number of vaccinated U.S. Latinos is increasing after months of unequal access, but hurdles remain for this especially hard-hit group to get COVID-19 vaccines at the same rate as others. President Biden wants 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated by July 4. 33% of unvaccinated Latinos are more likely to say they’d like to get vaccinated than white and Black non-Hispanics, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. (Franco, 5/20)