Could past outbreaks provide a blueprint for vaccinating the homeless?
Successful vaccine rollouts among homeless populations have occurred for other disease outbreaks as well. When a meningococcal outbreak hit Boston’s homeless shelters in 2016, advocates and officials responded swiftly. In a six-week period, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, led by President Jim O’Connell, vaccinated more than 3,600 people, roughly half of the city’s entire homeless population.