“medibus” provides mobile vaccinations for refugees: Charité

A mobile vaccination campaign is now being started in Berlin. Germany’s first vaccine vehicle that will provide care for refugees is intended to close current vaccine gaps. The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the State Office on Refugee Matters have developed the mobile care concept and successfully implemented it in cooperation with their partners Deutsche Bahn, Cisco and the Austrian company SAVD Videodolmetschen.

"Our medical staff will start driving to the emergency accommodations in Berlin today and perform vaccinations on the spot inside the medibus, which means we will also reach children after school,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Frei, Medical Director of the Charité, at the official inauguration. The converted bus measures 12 meters in length and has two fully-equipped treatment areas and a powerful IT infrastructure. It allows for a connection to be made with an innovative interpreting service that can transmit images and sound. “The LIVE video translation works by pushing a button and enables you to communicate in all relevant languages. This is a big help and improves communication between the doctor and the patient,” Prof. Frei emphasizes.

Mario Czaja, Senator for Health and Social Affairs, is pleased with the cooperation: “Over the past few months, we have been working intensively on expanding the medical care structures for refugees and made great progress. Using the new medibus to administer vaccinations is another important step in improving infection protection. With this complementary and very effective measure, we are able to reach many people with our vaccinations and provide counseling directly in an uncomplicated manner.” Many refugees have already received the vaccinations that the Standing Immunization Commission (STIKO) recommends. The remaining gap will now be closed as quickly as possible.

Dr. Christian Gravert, Lead physician at Deutsche Bahn, is delighted to see this initiative realized in Berlin and adds, “As Deutsche Bahn, we are pleased that the new medibus is now also being used to care for refugees. This gives us the chance to gain practical experience with mobile vaccinations together with the Charité. It will also help us to provide innovative solutions for medical care in rural areas in the future.” The medibus was developed by Deutsche Bahn.

Sandra Scheeres, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Charité and Senator for Education, Youth and Science, emphasizes, “Charité's has demonstrated its strong commitment to providing medical care for refugees over the last year. The development and use of the mobile vaccine service is further evidence of the important role the Charité plays socially in our city.”