Diverse crowd gets H1N1 vaccine at Sacrameno homeless agency
Nurse Sara Robinson vaccinates John Gavino, who is homeless, against the H1N1 virus Wednesday at Loaves & Fishes on North C Street. The free clinic attracted people from all walks of life, some of whom began lining up before sunrise. Sacramento County has scheduled a series of free clinics though January. The initial clinics, through Tuesday, are for people in high-risk groups.
The hottest spot in town Wednesday morning just may have been Loaves & Fishes, and not only among the homeless "guests" the agency typically serves.
Young mothers with strollers and a smattering of folks in business attire joined ragged people carrying backpacks along gritty North C Street, and waited patiently for a coveted dose of H1N1 flu vaccine.
The line began forming around 6 a.m. at the agency, which serves meals and provides various other services to homeless men, women and children, said Sister Libby Fernandez, the executive director. Sacramento County health officials expected to dole out 1,000 or more doses in the third in a series of public clinics to distribute the vaccine to high-risk groups.
Wednesday's event drew homeless campers and suburban grandmothers, pregnant women and elderly men in wheelchairs. They moved through the queue quietly and peacefully, said Sacramento Police Officer Mark Zoulas, who monitored the crowd.
"The line is steady and moving," Zoulas said. "Everyone is happy and friendly and getting along great. It's all good."
Most health care providers are reserving early supplies of the vaccine for pregnant women, health care workers, people ages 6 months to 24 years, adults ages 24 to 64 with an underlying medical condition, and those caring for children less than 6 months old.
But county health officer Dr. Glennah Trochet said offering the vaccine to the homeless also makes sense.
"These clinics are for everyone, but we want to make an effort to reach people who have the hardest time accessing services," she said Wednesday morning at the homeless services complex.
Homeless people who contract H1N1 and stay in shelters or other shared living areas are at risk of infecting many others, Trochet said. Studies also show that many homeless people are in fragile health, she said, suffering from chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
"This is an obvious site for us to hold one of our clinics," she said.
Joan Burke, advocacy director for Loaves & Fishes, estimated that only 10 percent to 15 percent of those in line for flu shots Wednesday were regular clients of the agency. "I don't recognize most of these people," she said.
Delores Bell, 61, carrying a cane and wearing a black wool scarf to ward off the chilly breeze, came from Elk Grove to get her vaccination. She had never been to Loaves & Fishes before, she said.
"At first, I felt a little intimidated," Bell said. "But everybody was really nice." After waiting for more than two hours, she received an inoculation and headed home.
Kahli Ferrell, 22, who is pregnant with her first child, inched through the line with companions Crystal Broome, 44, and Eula Robertson, 51.
"I hear that this flu epidemic is really bad if you're pregnant, so I want to protect myself," said Ferrell, who lives in the Del Paso Heights area.
Ferrell used to be homeless, she said, and Loaves & Fishes helped her survive. "I love these people," she said of the agency.
Dennis Farrell, 42, who said he has been living in his car since losing his job, came by for a bite to eat and was shocked to see that Loaves & Fishes had been turned into a clinic. "I had no idea," he said.
Farrell said he watched several homeless people who were interested in getting flu shots walk away after seeing the length of the line.
"That's not right," Farrell said. "I know that a lot of these people in line are probably having a hard time right now, but no one has it worse than the homeless."
Hundreds of people wait in line Wednesday at Loaves & Fishes for a free H1N1 flu vaccine clinic offered by Sacramento County. Health officials said they expected to dole out 1,000 or more doses at the clinic, the third in a series that began this week.