Santa Barbara’s First Three COVID Vaccines Administered by Cottage Health

“Thankful” and “grateful” were the feelings expressed by the first three at Cottage Health to receive the coronavirus vaccine: “But this changes nothing,” Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons followed up.

The chair of Cottage’s infectious disease division, Fitzgibbons explained that no one who received the vaccine would change any of their careful COVID personal protection practices. “We know the vaccine protects against symptoms, but whether it protects against transmission of the disease is still a question.”

So for even Lorenzo Vasquez, a nurse whose birthday present today was a vaccination, it’ll be home and a shower and cleaning everything he wore before he will celebrate, Vasquez said. But he was thankful the vaccine meant he could take better care of his patients.