Free flu vaccinations for Stratford's rough sleepers

An innovative new programme in Warwickshire will see Stratford-on-Avon's rough sleepers offered vaccinations against flu free of charge.  

As part of Warwickshire County Council's commitment to tackle homelessness across the county, a trained immunisation nurse will attend shelters and centres of support in each district and borough to deliver flu vaccinations to the people receiving help there.

Flu vaccinations are already offered to up to one in three Warwickshire residents free of charge, including pregnant women, people over 65 and carers. The inclusion of people who are rough sleeping is a further step towards ensuring residents of the county are supported to be as safe and healthy as possible.  

Councillor Les Caborn, Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, said: "I'm very pleased we're able to roll out this initiative. Obviously we don't want anybody to be sleeping rough but we have to be realistic and make sure that people who have the potential to be in that position are protected. When the weather gets colder people sleeping rough are in a particularly vulnerable position, and something as simple as a flu vaccination could make a big difference to someone's quality of life through the winter."

This new announcement comes as part of a larger programme of work to address homelessness in Warwickshire. Earlier in 2018, WCC pledged £300,000 to work in partnership to help tackle this challenge. District and borough councils, the police, charities and service providers are amongst those working together to build a collaborative approach to tackling homelessness.

Cllr Jacqui Harris, Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Housing stated: "This is a very welcome measure. Alongside our increased efforts to ensure all those sleeping rough this winter will receive further support in the form of the District Council's enhanced Severe Weather Protocol, and our continued work to identify a suitable location for supported housing, we are really stepping up to the challenge central government has set to halve rough sleeping by 2022."

In September, the partners met for the first Countywide Approach to Homelessness Prevention conference in Dunchurch, discussing the current picture of homelessness in Warwickshire, the government's take on the wider national problem, and the causes and contributors to homelessness such as domestic violence, family breakdown and the termination of assured shorthold tenancies.