Cottage Health hosts last COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic in Goleta
GOLETA, Calif. — Cottage Health has been one of the leading forces in Santa Barbara County in the vaccination effort. The hospital hosted drive-thru-style clinics in their Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital parking lot.
The clinics started slow. 500 vaccinations a day capacity. Demand was high, but supply was low.
First, it was the essential medical workers, then the 75-years-old and older group. Slowly as more people got vaccinated, a greater portion of the population became eligible. By the Spring, 16+ were eligible.
Angeli Mancuso is Cottage Health's drive-thru clinic director. She said about the clinic's beginning, “There was a lot of emotion involved. It was exciting. It was that light at the end of the tunnel. It was we’re all and getting it done.”
In April, Cottage Health had administered its 50,000th dose of the vaccine. The clinic at its peak was vaccinating more than 2,300 people a day.
However, shortly after reaching that major milestone, new arms looking for the vaccine lessened. Slowly at first, then a major drop-off in May. The week of March 28 to April 3 had 39,560 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in Santa Barbara County. While the last seven days, July 21 to 27 had 4,204 doses administered in the county.
“It’s definitely disappointing," said Mancuso. "I’d love to see that final 30% of the population out here getting excited to get vaccinated. I understand that there are people who have their reasons for not getting vaccinated. Everything that we’ve seen is the vaccine is safe. It provides excellent protection.”
The low demand is why Cottage Health lessened their drive-thru clinics to one day a week with Thursday, July 29, being their last scheduled clinic. They finished just before administering their 100,000th vaccine at the drive-thru clinic.
The clinic was open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment was necessary. It was first come first serve.
The clinic was in the parking lot across the street from their Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital at 351 South Patterson Avenue.
Mancuso said if there's a rush among the unvaccinated for shots or a need for boasters, the hospital has the blueprint to reset the drive-thru clinic.
