Vancouver: Downtown Eastside's Immunization Walkabout a North American First: Nurses Will Target Five Serious but Preventable Diseases

Teams of nurses and volunteers are giving out immunization shots as they walk through streets, parks and hotels in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighborhood during a two-week blitz that began Monday. The public health campaign, described as the only one of its kind in North America, targets five serious but preventable diseases.

Immunization shots against pneumonia, hepatitis A and hepatitis B will be given on the spot. The teams will test for TB and in some cases refer clients for x-rays and diagnosis at the Downtown Community Health Center. And they will offer educational material about the prevention and treatment of syphilis. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority says the campaign is different than those in other cities, in that nurses and community volunteers aren't just asking people to go to an immunization clinic. In effect, the clinic is going to its clients. When someone consents to an immunization shot, a nurse will lay out a sterile cloth on a picnic table or some other suitable place and take out the needed medical equipment from a shoulder bag.

"This is the only campaign of its kind in North America," said Shelagh Weatherill, communicable disease control consultant with the Health Authority. "This is also the first time we have run a street campaign like this in Vancouver targeting these diseases combined with the TB testing and syphilis prevention." Health officials have noted a drop in the number of new hepatitis A cases since 1999, when an immunization program for the disease began. In that effort, more than 15,000 people have been immunized against any combination of influenza, pneumonia and hepatitis A and B. This year's target is to provide 3,000 people with a combination of immunizations and testing. "The street campaigns are proving to be the best way to reach large numbers of people who may be reluctant to seek other treatment," Weatherill said.

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