Vaccinating homeless residents and refugees in Lewisham
More and more people are getting their COVID-19 vaccination, some residents find it harder to get their jab. Imagine if you struggle to access health services, you don’t speak English, you’re cautious about interacting with authorities or you’re living with drug or alcohol dependencies.
We been working closely with the local NHS to help ensure that everybody who wants to get the COVID-19 vaccine can do. Everyone aged 16 or over is eligible to receive the COIVD-19 vaccination, even if you’re not registered with a GP or you don’t have a permanent address.
Supporting homeless and vulnerable residents
There are over 100 homeless facilities across Lewisham, offering a range of accommodation and support services to around 1300 people in the borough. Our vaccine bus with trained outreach
teams has now visited each of these twice, as well as known rough sleepers, to offer advice, support and the opportunity to get the COVID-19 jab. Nearly two-thirds of those eligible have received their first dose, with repeat visits planned to make sure second doses are received on time.
As well as ensuring homeless residents get their jabs, these visits have underlined the importance of easily accessible health services. In August, the team organised a pop-up health and wellbeing day with Deptford Reach, a day centre offering local services to thousands of people each year who have been affected by homelessness, drug and alcohol addition, mental health issues and social isolation. Visitors were able to access health advice, on-the-day HIV testing, lateral flow testing kits and COVID-19 vaccinations.
The opportunity to get the jab in a familiar setting was an important factor for many service u
sers, including Tracey*. “I had been worried about getting the vaccine, but it makes a difference when you can get it in a place like this,” she said. “We all want to get back to normal so it’s a good way of keeping ourselves safe.”
“I’ve been coming to Deptford Reach for a couple of years now and it’s so nice to be able to see a doctor here as well as socialise gain,” said Kay*. “I got lots of information about the vaccine and testing for COVID – that helps me feel more independent.”
A number of people got their COVID-19 vaccination at the Deptford Reach event.
Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
Lewisham is proud to be a welcoming borough, with people from more than 75 countries speaking over 170 different languages. Earlier this year, the Council was officially recognised for its work to become a Borough of Sanctuary. We became the first local authority in the UK to be awarded Council of Sanctuary status, in recognition of our work supporting refugees, asylum seekers and the borough's migrant community.
Our approach to the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out has been no different and we have worked closely with the local NHS to ensure everybody is able to get their jab, regardless of their immigration status or the language they speak.
We have been encouraging GPs to become Safe Surgeries and make it easier migrants and asylum seekers to register, helping them to access the COVID-19 vaccine. Everybody has a right to primary care and you do not need to prove your identity to register with a GP.
There have also been drop-in vaccination events, organised in partnership with Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network, to encourage as many people as possible to get the jab. These have been open to all, with no requirement to provide ID or evidence of immigration status.
Get your COVID-19 vaccination today
Make sure your play your part to keep Lewisham safe by getting the COVID-19 vaccination. Find out more information about the vaccine and how you can get your jab.