Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Monday, February 8, 2021 at 8:43 a.m.
As part of ongoing collaboration with regional service providers, Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) is currently distributing the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations for community members experiencing homelessness. Vaccination clinics were established and scheduled starting Monday, Jan. 25th and are ongoing. Vaccinations are being administered to clients and staff based on Washington State Department of Health phased guidance.
“This was a team effort with service providers and our immunization team who prioritized vaccines for our warming center and shelter patrons,” says Kylie Kingsbury, Homeless Outreach Coordinator with SRHD.
SRHD will continue offering immunization clinics at shelters and vaccinating community members who wish to receive it based on Washington Department of Health phased guidance.
The City of Spokane established weekly service provider meetings in March 2020 to share official health guidance, resources and brainstorm operational solutions to begin mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the regional shelter system. This proved effective, as the first outbreak in the system didn’t happen until September of 2020. As community spread began to increase in the fall, adjustments were made throughout the system to address the challenges of congregated housing and mitigate outbreaks as much as possible.
