People running homeless shelters relieved they and their clients getting vaccines

The executive director of the Fredericton Homeless Shelters says it's hard to express the relief he felt when his clients and staff were finally vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks ago.

"It's a lot, it's quite a heavy burden," Warren Maddox said of the long 13 months of worrying the virus would make it's way into the shelter.

According to the Department of Health, more than 1,000 people who use homeless shelters and transition homes, along with the staff who work with them, have been vaccinated since April 12.

Clinics for vulnerable people have been held in Bathurst, Miramichi, Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton.

Maddox said he doesn't know of any COVID outbreaks in a New Brunswick shelter, but he knocks on wood when saying it.

"Luck can only ride you so far, so we've been doing a lot of work on our front in terms of keeping the guys healthy and safe," said Maddox.

He said there are regular temperature checks and guests and staff at the shelter have been mindful to wear masks. 

Nearly 35 per cent of the province's population is vaccinated, and according to Maddox people without a place to live are rightly high up on the list of who gets a shot first.

I mean, when a government that has perpetually failed them, and a lot of time from the time that they were born up until now, offer them a vaccine, there's a lot of hesitancy around that,- Ashley Legere, Ensemble Moncton

"This is a population that, by and large, get forgotten and put in last place for just about everything," he said.

"And they are population that are also everywhere. So there are overriding health concerns that exist within the population, everything from diabetes to lung conditions to you name it."

Vaccination clinics for vulnerable populations were held in Fredericton April 19 and 20, Maddox said 140 vaccines were delivered at that time.

"You couldn't wipe the smile off my face with a shovel," said Maddox.

Marc Belliveau, deputy executive director at Harvest House in Moncton, said his clinic was also well attended.

"There was a constant line up around the parking lot from 10 a.m. until noon," he said.

According to Belliveau, volunteers from YMCA ReConnect, Food Depot Alimentaire, Peter McKee Centre, Salvation Army, John Howard Humanity Project and Harvest House all attended the clinic.

In total he said 110 vaccine doses were given, including 40 for shelter residents. 

Belliveau said after more than a year of being on the front lines, it's nice to have a sense of security.

 "A lot of people are speaking in close quarters, people share cigarettes and different items. There's a higher risk within this demographic," said Belliveau.

He said it's "extraordinary" that no one coming and going from Harvest House has tested positive for the virus yet and he hopes to keep it that way.

Ensemble Moncton also hosted a clinic which saw another 120 or so vaccinated.  

Vaccine hesitancy addressed

Ashley Legere, community outreach and needle distribution at Ensemble Moncton, said every vaccine made available to the group was used, but the offer was handled delicately.

"I mean, when a government that has perpetually failed them, and a lot of time from the time that they were born up until now, offer them a vaccine, there's a lot of hesitancy around that," said Legere.

But she said with the right approach from trusted sources, most Ensemble clients opted to get vaccinated when offered the chance.

"I think that information coming from people who care about them and genuinely love them... and just want to see them flourish and be as happy and safe as possible, telling them that it's important that this happens so that they don't get sick or they don't make other people sick, I think was a very big help in getting people vaccinated," said Legere.

Ghosting a possibility

Keeping track of a people with no fixed address comes with challenges, but Belliveau said agencies work closely together and are good at keeping an eye out for the people they work with.

"If we have someone who is not in the shelter, we are able to track them down after a day or so if we don't know where they are already," said Belliveau.

Maddox said New Brunswick organizations are lucky in that people experiencing homelessness don't number in the thousands like they do in other larger cities.

And people aren't as transient with COVID's border closures.

"There might be some movement between Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton, but you're still dealing with a lot of the same people that we know," said Maddox. 

But even if the odd person misses their second dose, he said, the effort is worth while.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that some of these guys are going to ghost and they'll only get one shot,"said Maddox. 

"But, you know, what we got was a Moderna vaccine and even if they only get one shot at, you know, 85 percent efficacy is pretty darn good."

Maddox said only two shelter residents declined the opportunity to be vaccinated.

"We got them in this chair, but they just couldn't do it," he said.

He understands, "but I would say we hit critical mass … within our population, which is great." 

Going forward, Maddox  would like the province to allow shelters and other agencies to book appointments for incoming clients.

"Somewhere where we can take the guys or gals and drop them off and let them get vaccinated and then take them back to the shelter," he said. 

According to the province, another 120 doses will be administered at two more clinics in the coming week.