The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is changing its vaccine strategy starting Sunday, May 16.
In a statement, officials state that vaccines are widely available through local pharmacies and healthcare providers in south and mid-county, but there remains a gap for availability in the Santa Maria area.
Starting on Sunday, the Public Health Department will provide a community vaccination clinic at the Santa Maria Fairpark. Approximately 6,000 doses will be allocated to these clinics per week.
The location will be open with the following hours:
- Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The clinic will be open through the end of July. You can sign up for appointments using MyTurn.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 years old.
Vaccination opportunities will be offered across the county. The Department will also be partnering with local schools to provide vaccination clinics on school campuses beginning with sites in north county as early as next week.
The Department is no longer providing mass vaccination clinics in Santa Barbara or Lompoc but there will be mobile vaccination clinics in those communities.
“Santa Barbara County has fully vaccinated over 49%% of all eligible residents," said Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director, in the statement. "Case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have all plummeted. We are encouraged by the progress we have made as a county and as a community,”
