COVID-19 vaccinations were distributed to residents of the Downtown Eastside on Friday.
The four clinics, organized by Vancouver Coastal Health, were set up at Carnegie Centre, Pender Community Health Centre, Downtown Community Health Clinic, and the UGM.
Vaccines were given to residents who are homeless or living in shelters, SROs, and supportive housing.
In Friday's briefing, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said "We have transmission in some of our shelters, both in Fraser and the Surrey area, and Vancouver, and the Downtown Eastside. We know that people in those situations are much more likely to get severe illness, end up in hospital. So we are doing some targeted immunization in those communities."
The Union Gospel Mission's Jeremy Hunka, who welcomed the initiative, says the DTES community is particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. The UGM estimates there are over 3,600 homeless people in the city of Vancouver, but that number is expected to rise due to the pandemic.
