Mobile Immunisation Clinic supporting homeless during COVID-19

Taking health care to Melbourne’s at-risk homeless populations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is the focus of an important new service funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and supported by Burnet resources and expertise.

Since May 2020, teams of two – a social worker from the Salvation Army’s ACCESS Health, and vaccination nurse from St Vincent’s Melbourne – have criss-crossed Melbourne in Burnet’s mobile clinic, visiting emergency accommodation, homeless services, drop-in centres and hotels made available to people affected by homelessness during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Their initial idea was to offer vaccinations for hepatitis A following a serious outbreak among people experiencing homelessness in Melbourne in late 2019, but the brief was expanded to include influenza and hepatitis B vaccinations, overdose education, naloxone training, housing and family violence referrals, COVID-19 screening referrals, even toiletry packs and comfy clothing.

“In this particular time lots of services have changed the way they operate, and lots of people, including the homeless are not necessarily accessing their usual services,” ACCESS Health Program Manager, Bec Thatcher said.

As well as our ‘clinic on wheels’, Burnet is providing project management support and evaluation. So successful has the service been that initial funding through to the end of July 2020 was extended a further three months.