Ophthalmologist keeps her eye on music
UCSB drops season opener
Dr. Toni Meyers is a piano soloist with the Santa Barbara Symphony - B1
Men’s tennis falls against UCLA - A4
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FDA: J&J vaccine meets requirements Single-dose vaccination could be approved for emergency use next week
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine could gain emergency use authorization as soon as Monday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the vaccine meets the requirements for EUA, with 66.9% effectiveness against COVID-19 after two weeks and 66.1% effectiveness after four weeks, according to national media reports. An independent group of FDA advisers will meet Friday to consider the documents and recommend EUA or not. Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee will chime in as well, likely on Sunday. “I cannot wait for the EUA
because it will be a very valuable tool in fighting the pandemic,” Dr. Henning Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer, told the News-Press Wednesday. “In particular, the hard-to-contact populations (homeless, migrants, mentally ill, etc.) would be much better served with a one-shot-only vaccine, which the J&J is. Also, it does not require freezing for storage, which makes it a preferred candidate for outreach activities in the field as well.” J&J stated it can provide 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by the end of June. Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, infectious disease specialist at Cottage Health, told the News-Press Wednesday that this is a “really exciting development.” “The Pfizer and Moderna options that are currently available
are, of course, less forgiving when we think about storage and administration logistics,” she said. “The J&J vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures for up to three months, which really expands the opportunity to potentially vaccinate outside of vaccine clinics that are affiliated with big systems and just increases the likelihood for primary care providers and other smaller health care settings to far more easily give people a COVID vaccine in the same way they deliver the influenza vaccine.” Dr. Fitzgibbons added that a question she knows will come up when people hear about the J&J vaccine is: “Which vaccine should I get?” The specialist said her answer hasn’t changed. “It’s a simple answer. I really encourage people to get the first vaccine they have access to,” she
said. “The J&J data looks very, very good, and the Pfizer and Moderna data also has been very, very good. “Just as soon as people are able to get the protection that they’re eligible for, I strongly recommend people take advantage of that.” Dr. Fitzgibbons said everyone getting their first dose (or in J&J’s case, the single dose) as quickly as possible is the highest priority. On top of the J&J vaccine news, The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the results of Israel’s real-world, mass vaccination campaign surveying more than half a million people showed that the Pfizer vaccine was 92% effective at preventing severe disease after two shots and 62% after one. Its estimated effectiveness for preventing death was 72% two to three weeks after the first shot as well, with room for improvement as immunity builds
over time. In other good news, Dr. Fitzgibbons said Cottage Health is likely days away from vaccinating the first round of essential workers, but added that the public needs to keep in mind that health care systems are dealing with tens of thousands of suddenly eligible people. She explained that even though essential workers are now eligible for vaccinations, it may take a while for them to actually receive their first doses. This group of essential workers includes residents in the following sectors: education and childcare, emergency services, food and grocery, and agriculture. “I think the exciting news is that the process is starting and everyone from vaccine organizers to the health department see it as a top priority right now,” she said. As of Feb. 19 — the last time
Cottage Health updated its vaccine numbers — 11,905 doses had been given to community members 75 and older, and 7,735 doses were given to healthcare workers. In addition, 1,100 first-dose and 2,420 seconddose appointments will be administered at the next vaccine clinic, planned for today and Friday. According to public information officer Jackeline Ruiz, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department vaccine sites have not had availability for ages 65 to 74 just yet, especially given the previous week’s weather delays. However, she said information about progress in vaccinating the 65-to-74 population should be more available in the coming week. email: gmccormick@newspress.com
A day at the lake
COURTESY PHOTOS
Olivia Uribe-Mutal, an advance care planning facilitator at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, ordered bracelets with the words “#COVIDSAFE21” to distribute to fully vaccinated individuals.
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
It was a warm, clear day on Wednesday at Lake Los Carneros, providing an opportunity for residents of Goleta and Isla Vista to take a relaxing walk or bike ride around the water.
Project provides shelter for homeless By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
The Isla Vista Pallet Project provides residents with three meals a day, community restrooms and on-site supportive services.
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Please see shelters on B4
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Olivia Uribe-Mutal, an advance care planning facilitator at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, printed 1,000 rubber bracelets with the words “#COVIDSAFE21” to give to those who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. “My hope is that we can visually see the vaccines are getting to people,” she told the News-Press Wednesday. She thought of the idea while relaxing in her condo’s hot tub. A neighbor cautiously asked to join
and offered to sit on the other side of the spa. Her husband said she’d received both doses of the vaccine, and the neighbor was also fully vaccinated. They began chatting about their experiences. Ms. Uribe-Mutal wished there was a visual way to tell if someone was vaccinated — something to wear even in the hot tub. She remembered the yellow Livestrong bracelets that were popular years ago and decided they were the perfect solution. She received her order of 1,000 Please see bracelets on B4
She hopes the bracelets will provide a visual of the vaccine’s distribution.
L O T T E RY RESU LTS
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A new sense of hope is arising at the Isla Vista Pallet Project, where 26 previously unsheltered individuals now have a place to safely lay their heads at night. The project, spearheaded by county officials and the Good Samaritan Shelter, began in mid-December after 20 small homes were built on the Isla Vista Community Center property. The eight-by-eight square foot homes come with two beds, electricity and heat. Materials for the homes were provided by the Pallet Shelter Company. These homes act as an alternative to congregate shelters and provide homeless individuals a safe place to stay during COVID-19. Each home is designated for one individual, though members of the same household are allowed to stay in the homes together. Pallet home residents have access to three meals a day,
community restrooms and onsite supportive services from case managers. For those with untreated medical conditions, Good Samaritan Shelter coordinates with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to give residents access to needed treatment. A lack of stability is one of the main obstacles homeless individuals face while living unsheltered, but providing even just a temporary living situation can help them get back on their feet and provide them with the tools they need to move into more permanent living situations. “Being able to sleep inside with a heater and being able to have access to basic needs — shelter, showers, restrooms, warm food, clean clothes and stabilization has really provided a sense of hope (at the Pallet homes),” Sylvia Barnard, executive director of Good Samaritan told the News-Press in an email.
Resident distributes bracelets to vaccinated individuals
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