Massachusetts has one brand new millionaire and one 16-year-old whose college dreams may come true — all because they both got vaccinated against COVID-19.

The state's VaxMillions sweepstakes named its first winners Thursday: million dollar awardee Darrell Washington of Weymouth and Chelsea's Daniela Maldonado, who won a $300,000 college scholarship through the program meant to incentivize vaccination.

After drawing the winning vaccine recipients Monday, public health officials vetted Washington and Maldonado to certify they received their full doses of vaccine in Massachusetts.

"I have family members who have comorbidities, and I just couldn't imagine me being a host for the virus and then getting them sick and critically ill and possibly passing away, I just couldn't do that," Washington said Thursday from Gov. Baker's office where he and Maldonado were awarded novelty checks for a photo opportunity.

Washington, 63, works as an insurance case manager.

"I hope it does serve as a reminder to others that this day can happen again, and so with the Delta variant sort of creeping around, our state now is as good a time as any to make sure that you get vaccinated so you can be with us here to," said Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, head of the state lottery, which organized the drawing.

Maldonado, 16, said the money will help her low-income family send her to college to study history and math, her favorite subjects.

"I just want to say thank you for everyone who made this possible, for this opportunity, because now I'm able to achieve goals that I've wanted to do but would have would have not been able to do if I haven't had the scholarship," Maldonado said.

But the VaxMillions giveaways aren’t over. Four more million-dollar winners and four more scholarship recipients will be drawn on the coming Thursdays.

The winnings were funded by federal relief aid the state received last year.