MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The homeless are some of Memphis' most at risk to disease, especially Covid-19.
Efforts to get them access to the vaccine are underway by the Shelby County Health Department, City of Memphis, and the Hospitality Hub. Mobile vaccine sites have also helped reach this vulnerable population.
Constance Abbey is one local organization dedicated to helping the unhoused. LB Walker, the organization's director of operations, said getting these people vaccinated can play a major role in ending the pandemic.
"If you don’t want to touch a doorknob at Walgreens and then catch Covid you should probably make sure that the people who touch it don’t have Covid either or at least have their vaccine," Walker said.
However, Walker has found only 3 out of 10 homeless people in the area want the vaccine. He said the hesitancy stems from things such as mental illness, a distrust of the healthcare system, and their living conditions.
"The first step is stabilizing them," Walker said. "If you can give shelter to somebody, you can get them a good night's sleep, they are much easier to deal with the next day."
For Derrick Stone, who has been homeless for the past two month, it was very important to get his shot. He said he feels "confident" knowing he is protected.
"I feel like now I can walk around and say you know 'I am vaccinated,'" Stone said. "I don’t have to worry about if I did catch it and passing it on to someone else."
His vaccination card is his ticket into shelters among other vital resources. It means a lot that people, like him, have access to the vaccine because of the city's and county's efforts.
"They do care and I can see it in their actions that they care," Stone said.
Walker believes helping some of our most overlooked can get us through this public health crisis.
"One thing we learned from this pandemic is we’re only as healthy as the sickest member of our community," Walker said.