Homeless people lie down amid a cold snap at the square of Seoul Station on Jan. 29, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 26 (Korea Bizwire) — To cope with the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has expanded the scope of beneficiaries for fourth doses of vaccines, including those residing at so-called ‘homeless living facilities.’
Unfortunately, however, those living on the streets were not included on the list, raising concerns that they would remain vulnerable to virus infection.
‘Homeless living facilities’ refer to facilities where homeless people can stay for an extended period of time.
Such facilities are classified into self-rehabilitation, rehabilitation and nursing facilities. Homeless people living at such facilities can get fourth doses of vaccines without having to go through any additional procedures, including individual application.
Unlike homeless living facilities, ‘homeless use facilities’ that are used mainly by the street homeless are not included on the list. Such facilities include temporary shelters, soup kitchens and diagnosis facilities.
The street homeless will continue to have various difficulties in completing the vaccination. Without smartphones, they cannot access vaccination information. In addition, it’s difficult for them to individually book a date for vaccinations at a hospital.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the vaccine completion rate for the street homeless remained low at 47.4 percent as of the end of September 2021.
“Since there are some regions that have no living or use facilities for homeless people, the government’s homeless policy should be more diversified from a facility-centered one,” activist Ahn Hyung-jin said.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
