Got The Vaccine At CVS In Ramona? Big Prizes Could Await

RAMONA, CA — A trip to the Super Bowl, an international vacation and a VIP package to the iHeartMedia Radio Music Festival could await people in Ramona who have received the coronavirus vaccine at a CVS Health pharmacy, or plan to schedule theirs at a CVS before mid-July.

The pharmacy chain released its initial plans for its "#OneStepCloser sweepstakes" that began Monday as a way to encourage vaccinations at CVS pharmacies across America. Thousands of winners will be selected in various drawings over a six-week period this summer, the pharmacy said in a news release.

About 98 percent of the CVS stores in California are administering the COVID-19 vaccination, according to CVS spokeswoman Monica Prinzing.

Schedule a vaccine at a CVS store in San Diego County. There is one CVS location in Ramona:

• 1810 Main St., Ramona

Dr. Kyu Rhee, a CVS chief medical officer, said more than 17 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered at locations throughout the U.S., "but we have a long way to go."

"Getting as much of the population fully vaccinated will bring us one step closer to all the things we've missed during the past 14 months, and keep our country moving in the right direction," Rhee said in a statement.

That direction, for some winners of the sweepstakes, will include a seven-day cruise for two on the Norwegian CruiseLine, a trip to Bermuda or a two-night weekend getaway at a Wyndham hotel, according to the sweepstakes' description. CVS said it will also give away $500 in cash to 125 winners, and $5,000 to five.

The company said it is "working to close gaps in hesitancy" to inoculation, citing a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that shows 17.6 percent of adults are hesitant about the vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

CVS' vaccination incentive effort is among the latest across the country to encourage people to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. In Ohio, the state is offering $1 million to randomly selected residents who have received the vaccine.

In California, 10 vaccinated people will all get $1.5 million when selected on June 15. The Golden State is also offering $50,000 in cash to 30 others earlier in June.

Budweiser, White Castle and Krispy Kreme are among other companies that have offered free items for vaccinated people.