The United States is trying to address vaccine hesitancy, in part, by persuading skeptics and anti-vaxxers to get the shot through incentive programs such as lotteries.

It’s a death lottery, said West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on ABC, referencing those who refuse to get vaccinated for the coronavirus pandemic.

He further asserted that only a catastrophe could change their minds in favor of getting the shot.

I hate to say this, but what would put them over the edge is if an awful lot of people die, said the Republican governor.

So far, 45 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to official estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and about 53 percent of residents ages 18 and older have gotten at least one dose.

US President Joe Biden, who has adopted a more pro-vaccine approach compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump, has failed to reach the 70-percent vaccination mark he had promised before July 4th.

The failure comes amid the emergence of the highly transmissible delta variant, which some experts speculate could defy some of the vaccines.

How many is there going to be the next time we sit down? Justice said of coronavirus deaths in his state last month. How many is there going to be on next Tuesday?

Vaccine hesitancy in the country is, in part ,caused by myriad reports of complications many have experienced in the wake of receiving American vaccines.