BALTIMORE — They’ve served our country and they feel ripped off out because they're missing out on a chance at life changing money.
People who got the vaccine from a federally funded building haven’t been able to win the daily Maryland Vaccination lottery.
“I was all excited when they said all Marylander's who got a shot are included,” said Daniel Jensen. “I’m like hey that’s great, and my wife said it probably doesn’t mean us.”
Unfortunately she was right.
Jensen is a United States Army veteran and his wife is a United States Air Force veteran. They both got their vaccines through the VA.
According to the lottery the holdup is because the Federal Government won’t provide the Maryland Department of Health with a list of Marylander's who were vaccinated at federal facilities.
So the state can’t track those people who have been vaccinated.
“The more I thought about it the more I think they probably don’t have an accurate count,” said Jensen. “It is a large population of active duty military, veterans, and than the federal workers that either work at VA sites, work at military hospitals and clinics and what not.”
A spokesperson for The State Health Department said it asked the Federal Government to release its data so anyone can participate— as of Wednesday the state says it hasn't gotten a response.
“That’s life changing money,” Jensen said. “That would pay my debt, her debt. Get us a decent used car. With the raising of my credit score from paying my debt off it would me to buy a house under the VA home loan and still have money leftover.”
Meanwhile the state is announcing $40,000 winners, and the people who aren’t entered lose a new chance everyday.
“The other thing they need to do is suspend the lottery,” said Jensen. “There’s already been 9 times they’ve pulled a name out of a hat or whatever it was and that’s 9 active duty, veteran, federal worker whatever anybody that got it at a federal site, we lost the chance.”
But the drawings continue...A lottery system that's great for the winners and those who can play- but leaving out an important part of our population.
The lottery runs through July 4th and culminates with a $400,000 winner on the last day.