Homeless get Covid jabs as local GPs make rough sleepers a priority group for vaccinations

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Homeless people will get Covid-19 jabs in the first scheme of its kind in the UK – after a council took matters into its own hands and prioritised them for the vaccine.

Oldham Council and local GPs decided the town’s homeless people should be made a priority group to get the vaccine at the start of the rollout, alongside those over 80. 

A clinic was organised at a shelter for the homeless in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where around 30 people were given the jab – with more planned.

It comes after others claimed there is ‘no uniform process’ across England with regards to who is prioritised for the vaccine, claiming GPs and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) seem to be using their ‘own discretion’. 

Dr Zahid Chauhan, who is also an Oldham councillor with responsibility for health and social care, said homeless people should be on the priority list because, along with those aged 80 and over, they are more at risk from the virus.

He told MailOnline: ‘We don’t know if we can or can’t decide, but with such a low life expectancy of 43-45, homeless people are an extremely vulnerable group in our opinion.

‘So they will come in the highly vulnerable group anyway and people in this group can be identified by our GPs. It is the right thing to do.’ 

He earlier said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted.

‘It is setting an example for the rest of the country, rest of the world, and saying, ‘Please, please don’t ignore these people.” 

Dr Chauhan continued: ‘We can protect them, and if they catch Covid they become ill and if they become ill, that’s where you end up in hospitals, if you are lucky, your hospital beds go, your ICU beds go.

‘So it makes absolute sense from all directions to actually vaccinate these people and I’m still requesting Government, please consider again, it is my plea to you, these are extremely vulnerable people.

‘Please put them in a priority group.’

He added: ‘You don’t give up on people because they don’t have resources and they have not been privileged like me and you.

‘You don’t give up, that’s not what we do as British, these are not our British values. We help people, we pull them together.

‘It could be any one of us tomorrow.’ 

Baroness Campbell tweeted this morning: ‘There isn’t a uniform process across the country sadly. 

‘It seems that GP practices and CCG’s are behaving under their differently, using the own discretion. 

‘Personally, I made a good case to my GP who then agreed that the guidance empowered him to get me vaccinated.’

The decision has sparked debate over whether the homeless should be a priority for the vaccine.

Oldham resident Maria Balde, 20, a support worker at a care home, said: ‘I think it is a sensible idea.

‘If they are the most vulnerable and at risk, then they should have the vaccine. Some people in the care home I work in have had the jab today.

‘I don’t think homeless people should necessarily get the jab ahead of others. I think everyone should be treated equally and be offered the jab if they want it.’

Louise Wilkinson, 42, a office worker also from Oldham, said: ‘It seems a strange decision.

‘If these people are homeless, they lead an isolated existence already and probably don’t come into contact with many other people.

‘I’m not saying they are any less worthy than anyone else, I just think priority should be given to all frontline workers first.

‘Supermarket workers come into contact with hundreds of people a day. They should be near the front of the queue.

‘Teachers should be one of the first to be vaccinated so schools can re-open as soon as possible.

‘The emergency services should be given priority too.’

Others took to Facebook to share their opinion with one woman writing: ‘Oh my days I don’t begrudge anyone a vaccine but shouldn’t we be concentrating on getting our kids and parents back?

‘I’d love a vaccine – I’m a foster carer who has medical conditions and has vulnerable kids 24/7 they need to go back to school.’

Another man added: ‘Yes good idea give the elderly who don’t work and the homeless who don’t work, and leave the ones who have to go out and work to die. Good idea!’

One woman wrote on social media: ‘Sorry but think supermarket staff should be before these they risk there lives daily and those of there families.’

However, some people were supportive of the idea with one man commenting: ‘I cannot believe people criticising.

‘There are many armed forces veterans on the street – do they deserve criticism?

‘Probably done more for this country than most of the whingers.

‘Get a grip and have some empathy, stay in your house where you’re supposed to and thank your lucky stars you have a home.’

Another woman added: ‘The elderly certainly deserve to be given priority along with the NHS, and if someone thinks the homeless should be vaccinated as well then so be it.

‘I go to work every day and risk catching Covid and my husband is in the at risk category but I will happily wait my turn so long as the more in need get some protection first.’

Couple Kelly Heney, 38, and Lee Ullha, 46, stay at the homeless shelter where they were vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

Mr Ullha said: ‘We got evicted when this Covid thing kicked in, that’s why we were living in the park so we didn’t really watch TV, so we didn’t really know much about it. 

‘It’s scary, especially with the new strain of Covid, I don’t think people take it as serious as it is.

‘You see people walking round without their masks and it’s, they’re all saying, ‘It’s not a real thing, it’s all make believe.’

‘It’s important to get it done. It’s for your own safety.’ 

Ms Heney said: ‘For me, I can’t believe it’s just happened. I’m excited and so happy that we have actually just had the Covid injection because it’s a big thing.’

Dr Salim Mohammed, an Oldham GP helping with the vaccinations, added: ‘It’s hard not to see their reaction and feel very warm inside because they were so happy and you could see it.

‘It’s just another day in medicine.

Dr Salim Mohammed added: ‘We’ve been vaccinating people in Oldham over the last few weeks, starting with the most at risk group, the over 80s.

‘It’s important that we continue to vaccinate those most at risk from COVID-19, and this includes people impacted by homelessness.

‘We are in the process of planning how we can vaccinate this group. They are already some of the most vulnerable people in our society and it’s important their risk of contracting COVID is reduced.’  

A spokesman for Oldham Council confirmed that while not all of those from priority groups 1 to 3 have been vaccinated at this stage, they are hopeful to have achieved this by mid-February. 

The council said more than 3,700 residents have taken up the offer of the vaccine since the mass vaccination programme started in December. 

Earlier this month, the Government announced £10million funding to help local councils house rough sleepers and ensure they were registered with a GP. 

The Government said this would ensure they can be protected from the virus and contacted to receive vaccinations. 

Councils were instructed to work closely with local health partners to ensure those sleeping rough ‘are able to access the COVID-19 vaccine in line with the priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’. 

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said: ‘At the start of this pandemic we made sure that the most vulnerable in society were protected.

‘This winter, we are continuing in this vein and redoubling our efforts to help those most in need.

‘Our ongoing Everyone In initiative is widely regarded as one of the most successful of its kind in the world, ensuring 33,000 people are safe in accommodation.

‘We are now going further and focusing on GP registration of rough sleepers. 

‘We are also extending the ban on bailiff evictions – helping to protect the most vulnerable renters.’

Reacting to the Government initiative, Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: ‘These renewed efforts to protect people who are homeless in the pandemic will save lives.

‘The highly infectious new strain of coronavirus alongside the cold weather makes this the most dangerous moment of the pandemic for those without a home.

‘What is very welcome here is the two-pronged approach – a continued commitment to getting everyone into safe accommodation but also now making sure people are registered with a GP so they can quickly access the vaccines.

‘We know through our services that people facing homelessness often are not registered with a doctor’s surgery.

‘Addressing this issue will be a lifesaving intervention and a step towards ensuring people who are homeless are protected in the longer-term.’ 

According to the Government guidelines, people who are ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ – which would place them in priority group 4 – are defined as at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.

Guidance states you may fall into this category if you suffer from one of a number of listed illnesses on the Government website which includes certain types of cancer, severe respiratory conditions and rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections.

However, the guidance does go on to state that it could include ‘other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs.’

It adds that GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions.

MailOnline has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.