Veterans now eligible for vaccine-incentive lottery

Good news for veterans: After ABC7 reported earlier this week that veterans wouldn't be eligible for California's vaccine-incentive lottery, officials took action.

The state's vaccine-incentive lottery, with big cash prizes, is open to virtually all Californians, but only if they got vaccinated at a site that reports to the state registry.

The problem was that VA hospitals didn't report there; they report directly to the CDC, which meant people who got shots that way wouldn't quality for the lottery.

A VA administrator got on the issue, and as a result, more than 200,000 vets and VA health workers have now been added to the state registry, making them eligible for the lottery.

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $116.5-million plan to incentivize more Californians to get the COVID-19 vaccine and reward those who are already vaccinated.