In Montreal, the vaccination against COVID-19 among the homeless is a success. Especially when compared to that of major cities in the United States, according to data recently released by the US government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the Direction de santé publique du Center-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, 60% of the homeless had received two doses of the vaccine and 17% had received only one in mid-August. This compares to 61% of 20-29 year olds, 68% of 30-49 year olds and 87% of 50-69 year olds in Quebec.
In Washington and Detroit at the end of August, only 19% of homeless people were vaccinated. In Chicago, that rate was 45% and in Los Angeles, 35%, according to CDC data released in mid-November. Of course, the vaccination rates of the population were also lower than in Quebec in these cities.
David Chapman, director of the Resilience Montreal shelter, confirms that the efforts to vaccinate the homeless have been commendable in Montreal. “There have been six vaccination clinics in our region. This is important because if someone does not want to be vaccinated [tel jour], maybe he will want the next day, or the following week. It is a clientele that sometimes changes their mind. They may also be under the influence of alcohol and cannot give informed consent to the vaccination. So we have to wait for the next vaccination clinic. ”
Boromir Vallée Dore, coordinator of the Réseau Solidarité Itinérance Québec, regrets, however, that the homeless were not included in the priority groups for vaccination, contrary to what had been recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. “There was a study in Toronto that showed homeless people were much more likely to be hospitalized and die when they had COVID-19. ”
Mr. Vallée Dore confirms, however, that “there were many more good sides than mistakes” in the homeless vaccination campaigns in Quebec.
And the third dose? Mr. Vallée Dore hopes that the homeless will finally be included in the priority groups. Mr. Chapman had not yet obtained information on the subject, Tuesday.