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First COVID-19 Vaccinations On Central, South Coasts Take Place In Oxnard

(KCLU photo)
Ventura County administered the first COVID-19 vaccinations on the Central and South Coasts Wednesday, with four medical workers volunteering for the shots.

The number of new coronavirus cases on the Central and South Coasts continues to grow, and is expected to pass the 50,000 mark in the region Thursday.  But, there is some good news.  The first vaccine has arrived in the region, and the first shots were administered in Ventura County Wednesday.

Four health care workers got the very first shots in Oxnard.  

Ventura County Public Health officials say its a hopeful sign.  County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin says with all of the bad news recently, this is something to celebrate.

The goal is to get all front line medical personnel in the county vaccinated by the end of the year.  That doesn't just include doctors and nurses, but other hospital staff members interacting with patients who might be at risk.

Dr. Levin says the exciting part of the vaccine is that tests show that its effectiveness is in the 95% range, much higher than traditional flu vaccines.  And, the side effects appear to be minimal.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.