Demand for COVID-19 Vaccine Home Visits Decreases in 2023

By Anonymous on Jan 31, 2023 09:32 am

Austin Public Health (APH) will be ending its Mobile Vaccination Program (MVP) Home Visit Program on Jan. 31, 2023, after offering at-home vaccine services to our community in the last two years. 

“Home visits were essential in APH’s efforts to increase vaccine access, especially for those who were immobile and unable to visit a clinic. Patients who requested a visit received a COVID-19 vaccine from one of APH’s trained nursing staff,” said APH Director Adrienne Sturrup.  

The program’s success was apparent in the demand APH saw – At its height, the waitlist for home visits topped 500. The MVP was able to reduce the waitlist to zero by the end of 2022. 

In 2023, the demand for home visits has dropped significantly, allowing efforts and resources to focus on other priority populations, including senior centers and long-term care facilities. 

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available throughout the community at doctor’s offices, pharmacies and other providers. Visit Vaccines.gov (Vacunas.gov in Spanish) to find flu and COVID-19 vaccine providers near you. 

Members of the public can schedule an appointment at APH’s Shots for Tots clinics by calling 512-972-5520. 

Free COVID-19 tests    

Free mail-order rapid antigen test kits are available once again through covid.gov/tests. Households are eligible for another round of four tests for a limited time.    

At-home COVID-19 test kits are available at APH Neighborhood Centers while supplies last. The U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services also lists community-based testing sites online.     

Free masks (N-95 respirators)     

Use the CDC’s mask-locator tool to find pharmacies near you that provide free masks (N-95 respirators). It does not show current inventories, so check with the location for availability.

Read in browser »

Homeless Strategy Division Hosting Virtual Community Meetings February 1–3

By Anonymous on Jan 31, 2023 11:19 am

The City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Division will host virtual meetings to update the community on efforts to address homelessness and answer community member questions. There will be two identical virtual meetings on the evenings of February 1–2, 2023, with an additional webinar tailored to service providers on the morning of Friday, February 3, 2023. 

“In 2023, we will continue our quarterly community update sessions, which have become an important channel for keeping people up to date on the city’s efforts, and hearing from the community and service providers,” said Dianna Grey, the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer. 

Topics to be presented will include, but not be limited to:

- Affordable housing development

- Upcoming City of Austin funding opportunities

- Cold weather shelter and extreme weather response

- Community-wide shelter system assessment and planning

- Encampment management and the HEAL Initiative

- Finding Home ATX funding update 

Register to attend a Virtual Meeting

-Public Session One: Wednesday, February 1, from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XpJtD2eYTyCQubDgDwKfgQ

- Public Session Two: Thursday, February 2, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. 
Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YdEShFpjRyytHpmD9CLzQQ 

Service Providers: A separate email invitation will be sent for a webinar taking place on Friday, February 3, from 8:30 am – 10 am. 
This webinar is for Service Providers only.   

To learn more about homelessness in Austin, please visit www.austintexas.gov/homelessness

Read in browser »

More to read:

New APH Campaign Encourages Families To Vaccinate Against COVID-19 & Flu
RFP 2023-001 ARPA Homelessness Prevention
Austin Public Health Resuming Mpox Vaccine Operations Following Partnership With Vendor
UPDATE: COVID-19 XBB.1.5 Subvariant Detected in Austin-Travis County
2023-002 Basic Needs Issue Area RFP