Winner of Million Dollar Vax campaign is announced

Almost three million vaccinated Australians entered a competition to become an overnight millionaire, but there could be only one winner. 

A successful philanthropic venture to get more Australians vaccinated drew to a close this month, with a 25-year student from Sydney taking home the million-dollar prize. 

The Million Dollar Vax campaign was created by the Million Dollar Vax Alliance, a group of Australian philanthropists and corporations who joined together to help drive the country’s vaccination rate above 80 per cent by offering a pool of prizes worth $4.1 million – including a one-off prize of a million dollars. 

To be eligible to enter the competition you had to have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot before 31 October.

Read more: A million (dollar) reasons to get the COVID jab

Joanne Zhu, a fully vaccinated student from NSW was handed her million-dollar cheque last week and said she was going to spend some of the money on spoiling her family, starting with flying them out from China, first-class. 

Craig Winkler, from the Million Dollar Vax Alliance, said that everyone behind the campaign was incredibly proud of what it had achieved, and they were thrilled to have announced a winner. 

“We have collectively shown what can happen when Australians get on board,” Winkler said.  

“Let’s finish the job and be recognised as one of the highest vaccinated countries globally.”