COVID-19 Vaccine

The Wisconsin State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC) released their recommendations for Vaccine Priority Group 1B for public comment this morning.  Following the recommendation from the ESF-6 team (Emergency Support Team, Region 6), the 4 CoCs leaders created the statement below that can be used by every homeless service provider (shelter, domestic violence provider, outreach, and housing) to provide comment.  A coordinated and strategic response demonstrating unity is key.  Unfortunately, the comment period ends at 4:00 pm on Monday, January 18^th.   So it is an incredibly quick turnaround.  The benefit of the prepared statement is that you can use it, add some personalization to it, and email it. This is one of those situations in which quantity matters.  If you review the recommendations, specifically in Appendix C, you will note that there is not overwhelming support to include emergency shelters or transitional housing programs in the prioritization.  Without your support, this important inclusion into the prioritization may not happen.  This is our one and only chance for this advocacy.  Please share this email far and wide!

 

You can review the recommendations here:  https://publicmeetings.wi.gov/view/2bd5e0b3-bf79-42dc-bae1-9de875c9addb/1/vaccine

 

Comments must be sent to:  DHSSDMAC@dhs.wisconsin.gov

 

Below is a template statement that you can use for submitting public comment. All you have to do is copy in the information between the *** lines into a blank email and replace the area that is highlighted YELLOW.   I did identify an area in the middle where you can delete and add a few sentences to personalize the message.  When personalizing, I would recommend focusing on the impact the pandemic has had on homelessness in your community, use specific examples, and include the impact on organizational operation and staff.

 

After you send your email to the SDMAC group, you can also send the same email to your elected officials in the Assembly and Senate!  To find those folks, please visit:  https://legis.wisconsin.gov/

 

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Hello members of the WI State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee,

 

Thank you so much for your work on ensuring the vaccine rollout is efficient and equitable. It is incredibly important and necessary that the Phase 1B recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine include congregate living facilities for both staff and residents. 

 

Prioritization for this critical population is imperative for the following reasons: 

• People experiencing homelessness have a disproportionately high rate of chronic health conditions that put people at higher risk of severe COVID disease. This population frequently has little access to consistent quality health care which may result in being excluded unless specifically prioritized. 
• People who have exhausted all other resources and are staying in a shelter do not have a way to mitigate their COVID risk. They cannot avoid the interaction with other people and reliance on the organization to help meet basic needs and provide a safe place to be. Emergency shelters, including domestic violence shelters, use shared living spaces and have limited opportunities to meet the social distancing requirements. 
• The homeless population is disproportionately people of color, who we know are also at greater risk of severe COVID disease.  In Wisconsin, it was estimated that 6.7% of Wisconsin’s population was Black in 2009. In November 2020, 43% of the population experiencing homelessness was Black.
• Currently in the homeless service system, an enormous amount of funding, time, and resources have been focused directly on COVID-19 prevention, screening, education, and mitigating the spread of the disease. Once the shelter system and residents have access to the vaccine, staff time and resources can be redirected to obtaining and securing permanent housing.
• We are seeing and will continue to see an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in our State. Evictions and people no longer able to stay with friends and family, the increasing economic burden of the pandemic and the limited funding and availability for motel voucher alternatives, there has been a statewide increase in people experiencing unsheltered homelessness - sleeping outside and in other places not meant for human habitation (e.g. caves, abandoned buildings, storage units, vehicles, fishing shacks). With an increased need, the risk of COVID in congregate settings, capacity reduction because of social distancing guidelines, shelters are struggling to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.  As a result, the unsheltered population continues to be at risk for COVID and should be included in our prioritization for the vaccine. 

Personalization

The current recommendations for DHS regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Group 1b includes some concerns about feasibility in Appendix C.  While feasibility is one domain of consideration, equity and justice should be additional considerations when working to ensure this vulnerable and at risk population is prioritized. Due to the reasons above, it is imperative that people accessing shelters are prioritized for the vaccine. Collaboration between public health, those administering the vaccine, shelter and outreach staff will be essential to address the rollout concerns, distribution, education, and adherence to appropriate protocols. There will be a need for guidance on timelines, the second vaccine, and accurate education to address myths and misunderstandings. Across Wisconsin, homeless services providers have access to a shared database that can help us see what services people are accessing and possibly use to document vaccines. There are many options available to ensure success. Allowing unsheltered people experiencing homeless to access the vaccine through the emergency shelter system should be encouraged and supported. While challenging, open communication and creative solutions will overcome those potential feasibility issues and enhance trust between the homeless population, staff, and public health. We cannot wait for a single dose vaccine to ensure that this vulnerable population and the staff that are working so hard to keep them safe are vaccinated. 

Transitional housing settings often have shared living spaces as well. It is important that residents and staff of these facilities are considered in Phase 1B rollout. Again, this could be a challenging population to reach, but with clear communication and creative strategies, this can be successful. The efficacy of only prioritizing staff for the vaccine and not including the residents is a missing opportunity to develop partnership, trust, and demonstrate what we know to be true - COVID does not discriminate. Residents and staff are equally at risk. 

The COVID-19 vaccine is a critical step toward ensuring the safety and the health of this vulnerable population and will provide much needed support to those facilities and staff struggling to provide these important services.  

Thank you for your work in rolling out the vaccine and advocating for all Wisconsinites.  

Sincerely,

Your Name, Title, Organization, and Contact Information