Get Vaccinated In LA County This Weekend And You Could Win Lakers Season Tickets

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County is giving away Lakers tickets as part of an incentive program to encourage residents to get their COVID vaccinations.

Health Director Barbara Ferrer announced Thursday that anyone 18 and over who gets their first COVID vaccine this weekend at a county or city vaccination site will be entered for a chance to win a pair of Lakers season tickets.

"Not only will you gain a lot of added protection, but you may be that lucky person who gets to watch an amazing basketball team pursue another championship," Ferer said.

To see locations participating in the sweepstakes, visit: publichealth.lacounty.gov.

Health experts say herd immunity is key when it comes to being able to once again gather in large numbers.

Dr. Jerry Abraham of Kedren Health says giving incentives can be a sensitive issue when it comes to biomedical ethics, but added that nothing should be off the table when it comes to fighting COVID-19.

"It's actually a shot of life that alleviates the mental health burden, the anxiety, the isolation, that depression that we've seen in the last year," Abraham told CBSLA's Kandiss Crone.

The vaccination incentive is similar to the one in Long Beach which so far has offered aquarium tickets, a Nintendo Switch, and a hotel stay as part of its giveaways.

Meanwhile Thursday, L.A, County reported 19 additional COVID deaths and 245 more cases.

The numbers brought the county's death toll to 24,140 and the total caseload to 1,238,121.

To date, there have been 6,671,922 people tested for the virus.

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