Anonymous
By Shelly Leachman, UC Santa Barbara
In an effort to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in Isla Vista and the broader Goleta and Santa Barbara communities, UC Santa Barbara is partnering with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to hold a booster vaccination clinic on multiple days in January.
The clinic began Jan. 11 with a full slate of appointments and served walk-ins through the afternoon, staffed by Santa Barbara County as well as volunteers from UC Santa Barbara. The first day saw many Isla Vista residents, including Santa Barbara City College students, taking advantage of the clinic, as well as UCSB students and others.
The operation will continue Jan. 18, 21, 25, and 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at UC Santa Barbara’s Embarcadero Hall in Isla Vista. Appointments are available through the MyTurn system; boosters also will be offered, as available, on days that book out.
The CDC now defines “fully vaccinated” as a person who has received a booster vaccination for COVID-19. The agency recommends a booster beginning five months after completing the original vaccination series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, and two months after the J&J/Janssen vaccine.
With the region currently experiencing record numbers of daily COVID cases amidst the surge credited to Omicron, boosters are a critical tool in helping to stem infections, according to Vejas Skripkus, M.D., executive director of Student Health and campus physician at UCSB.
“There is strong evidence that infection leading to asymptomatic, mild, or moderate illness can occur from the Omicron variant in persons who have previously received two doses of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) or the single-dose J&J/Janssen vaccine,” Skripkus said. “There is also a significant risk for reinfection by the Omicron variant for those previously infected with other variants of the virus who are not vaccinated.
“Fortunately,” Skripkus added, “recent studies demonstrate that a third ‘booster’ vaccination with either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine can provide very high levels of protective antibodies against the Omicron variant. Thus, the single most effective strategy at this time for mitigating transmission is widespread booster vaccination. We are pleased to partner with Santa Barbara County Public Health to offer boosters not only to our students, but to residents of Isla Vista and surrounding communities.”
[Editor’s Note: This article has been amended to include updated clinic dates]
I would also add, it is disingenuous to claim this effort at administering booster shots will “prevent further spread of Covid.” Dr. Fauci said that omicron will “infect just about everybody” regardless of vaccination status as outlined by the Washington post at the link below. Given this fact, it would be more appropriate to say this booster shot effort is being carried out to try to reduce the severity of infections which are now inevitable and unavoidable according to Fauci.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/12/covid-omicron-variant-live-updates/
Chip- not sure who they led to believe it was a one time thing. They clearly put 4 spots on the vaccine card for a reason. And UCSB/Edhat are defunct so using defunct terminology comes as no surprise.
Those extra blank spots on the cards definitely caught my attention, but it was considered somewhat of a fringe/conspiracy theorist thing at the time to suggest the vaccines wouldn’t provide lasting immunity and that additional “boosters” would be required at regular intervals. The design of the vaccine cards suggests that was known from day 1, but it certainly wasn’t presented to the public that way. It’s interesting to see how the claims made when the vaccine was introduced hold up (or don’t hold up) over time.
More FUD being spread by the BS folks. How can someone be so impervious to facts?
I thought they retired the term “fully vaccinated” and now say “up to date” instead. When they initially pushed the vaccines, they led people to believe that being “fully vaccinated” was a one time thing that would provide lasting immunity from covid. They even suggested the vaccines would provide “herd immunity” and eradicate covid from the earth. It has turned out differently. Now it’s a priority to transition people to getting boosters every few months, and even that has limitations. I’m surprised to see this article is still using the defunct “fully vaccinated” terminology.
Conservative, I’m just lost in your assertions.
Defunct means dead, gone, non-existent, no longer with us.
In what way are UCSB and Edhat “defunct”?
How is terminology, regarding Covid or whatever you are referring to, which is unclear and I wish you’d specify, “defunct,” as you assert?