PHOTOS: Santa Cruz County begins vaccinating its homeless residents
Quick Take
After the California Department of Public Health expanded the eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine to include people experiencing homelessness, Santa Cruz County began inoculations with a clinic at Housing Matters on Tuesday. Lookout photo contributor Kevin Painchaud captured the scene.
Santa Cruz County’s unhoused individuals began receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this week after state health officials expanded eligibility to include adults with disabilities, comorbidities and those who are experiencing homelessness.
While the county has expressed in the past that it will deploy mobile vaccination units to reach more homeless people, a vaccination clinic was also held Tuesday at Housing Matters.
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In the cold Tuesday morning air, a line of unsheltered people formed outside the building on Coral Street, ready to get a jab in the arm for protection against the viral killer.
Healthcare workers prepared the Janssen vaccine — Johnson and Johnson’s single-shot vaccine that was recently given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.
Here’s a visual look at the process of getting inoculated for one 71-year-old homeless musician named Michael “Cowboy Mike” Martyn:
