Unvaccinated people entering ‘death lottery,’ West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice warns

West Virginians choosing not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are entering a “death lottery,” the state’s governor said, as the portion of residents fully inoculated against the virus hovers around 46.4%. 

Gov. Jim Justice, whose state offered multiple lottery incentives to people who received a vaccine, said convincing younger people to get the shot continues to be a challenge. While 77.2% of adults over 65 are vaccinated, the rate drops to 53.3% for those ages 12 and up.  “When it really boils right down to it, they’re in a lottery to themselves,” he told ABC News. “We have a lottery, you know, that basically says, ‘If you’re vaccinated, we’re going to give you stuff.’ Well, you’ve got another lottery going on. And it’s the death lottery.”