Maryland Teens Who Get COVID-19 Vaccine Could Win a $50,000 College Scholarship

Getty A medical professional giving a vaccine shot

Maryland officials are nearing the end of their big incentive to get all teenagers in the state vaccinated.

Back in early July, Gov. Larry Hogan announced during a press conference that state officials were turning their efforts toward getting more young people vaccinated against COVID-19.

In order to do this, the Maryland Department of Health, in partnership with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, launched a "Vax U" initiative, where they provided $1 million in college scholarships for Marylanders, age 12-17.

The initiative, which began on July 12 and is running until Labor Day, consists of 20 total drawings, Hogan said. Youngsters were automatically eligible for the scholarship so long as they're within the age requirement and have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Winners will receive a Maryland 529 Prepaid College Trust Contract or a Maryland 529 College Investment Plan, with the option of transferring the scholarship to a school of their choice if they opt to attend a private or out-of-state school.

"The sooner you get vaccinated, the more scholarships drawings that you'll be eligible for," Hogan said during the press conference.

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In the time since that day, vaccination rates for that age group have increased by about 15%, and are now up to 66.5%, according to Washington D.C.-based radio station WTOP News.

With just days left until the initiative ends, Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis R. Schrader urged young Marylanders to take advantage of the incentive.

"We still have four more scholarships to draw next Monday, Labor Day, and we're really urging everybody 12 to 17, 'Go get your shot this week, so that you're eligible for the drawing on Monday,'" Schrader said, per WTOP News.

So far, 81% of Maryland's adult population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, with a total of 3.7 million residents fully vaccinated, the Maryland Department of Health reported.

However, close to 1 million Marylanders still have yet to receive their vaccine, according to WTOP News.

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Schrader told the outlet he hopes the Pfizer vaccine recently receiving full approval from the Food and Drug Administration will encourage more people to get vaccinated. (Pfizer's FDA approval is for people aged 16 and up. The vaccine is still under emergency use approval for kids aged 12 to 15 as the FDA continues to fully vet the shot.)

"A lot of people who had told us previously that they didn't get vaccinated because they were waiting for full approval — well, as far as the Pfizer product is concerned, that's gone," he said, per WTOP News. "There's no reason not to get vaccinated; please go get vaccinated."

As of Sept. 1, close to 62% of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 52.6% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the eligible population, those aged 12 and up, 72.4% have received at least one dose and 61.5% are fully vaccinated.

The majority of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. — more than 210 million — have been the Pfizer vaccine, per the CDC.

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