Shelter doc ‘thrilled’ with new plan to vaccinate homeless

The city’s plan to roll out popup vaccine clinics at homeless shelters couldn’t have come at a more critical time, says one doctor who works closely with Hamilton’s most vulnerable population.

“I’m very, very happy and thrilled this is happening,” says Dr. Tim O’Shea, medical director of the Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team.

“It’s desperately needed. I’m glad that the city and province have recognized the importance of getting vaccines to the homeless.”

The vaccine rollout, announced late Friday, will be offered at all shelter sites from Feb. 27 to March 2.

It comes just a day after local shelter workers raised the alarm over the homeless population’s omission from a targeted city list of those next in line to receive the vaccine.

While graciously welcomed, O’Shea warned vaccinations are just one step to mitigating the crippling effects COVID-19 continues to have on shelters.

“The vaccines aren’t the strategy to stop an outbreak — it’s a piece of it, for sure, and an important piece — but certainly there’s still other work that needs to go in to protect people from getting sick and the consequences of that,” O’Shea said.

Indeed, the coronavirus infection rates at local shelters has spiked in recent weeks.

There are now eight active outbreaks in the city’s shelters and drop-in centres supporting at-risk residents.

Cases in the outbreaks rose by 17 on Friday to a total of 69 — more than half of which are at the Salvation Army Booth Centre.

The outbreaks have prompted several shelters to quickly find other living spaces for infected clients.

Coun. Jason Farr said Friday the city has converted Central Memorial Recreation Centre into an isolation zone for the Salvation Army men who have the virus.

They will move to the Stinson neighbourhood recreation centre on West Avenue South on Monday, Farr said.

The city-staffed operation will continue for three weeks maximum to give the Salvation Army time to do a “deep clean” of its York Boulevard shelter.

Wesley Urban Ministries also operates an isolation centre for people who are homeless at Bennetto Community Centre on Hughson Street in the North End.