Mobile clinic brings COVID vaccine to people who are housebound, homeless

Mobile teams in Waterloo region are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable groups including housebound home-care patientsand people facing homelessness; people who can't easily make itto public health's vaccination clinics.

Staff with SanguenHealth Centre, in partnership with the Inner City Health Alliance,areproviding vaccine clinics at various locations acrossthe region through the centre'sMobile Health Bus.

"The opportunity to deliver the vaccine to individuals who likely don't have the ability or capacity to get it, is invaluable," said Erika Liban, a nurse practitioner with Sanguen Health. She and her colleague Kathy McKenna are teaming up to deliver the vaccine.

"It's an amazing feeling being able to offer that."

The bus is scheduled to be at A Better Tent City on Lot 42 on Tuesday and Thursday. The bus will also make several stops through the week at other hotels and motels in the region, in a bid to reach others who are homeless or precariously housed.

McKenna said they're also providing access to other health care services,in addition to delivering the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We're able to break down the barriers and meet people where they're at to keep them healthy," she said.

"Having bothErika and I, and the other regular team membersout and being able to offer these clinicsis key because people already know us and trust us."

Insp.Jen Davis, a member of the Region of Waterloo's vaccine task force, saysthe different types of vaccination clinics available in the region, such as fixed sites and mobile or pop-up clinics, aim to meet the needs of everyone in the community.

"The benefit that we have is that there are health teams that are already serving this community," Davis said during aRegion of Waterloo Public Healthbriefing on Friday.

"We know that's one way we can track to be able to get them their second dose when that time comes."

Region of Waterloo Public Health says it has fully-vaccinated 14,179 people as of March 22 accounting for 2.41 per cent of the local population. A total of 57,185 people have received a single shot of the COVID-19 vaccine representing 7.3 per cent of people in Waterloo region.

Public health says it is beginning pre-registration of Phase 2, as it completesPhase 1 vaccinations.