Supporting the health of The Big Issue vendors

Since its establishment in 2018, the program has provided over 400 flu vaccinations to The Big Issue vendors.  This recognises that accessing healthcare, including vaccinations, can be challenging for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. This year, vaccinations were delivered at The Big Issue sites in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.

Bupa Asia Pacific CEO, Hisham El-Ansary, said providing access to preventative health care goes some way towards protecting vulnerable people, including The Big Issue vendors who are beloved across Australia.

“We’re proud that we have been able to mobilise our nurses across Australia to provide vaccinations to help keep The Big Issue vendors healthy, particularly as we face into such a challenging flu season.

Since its first issue in 1996, more than 13 million copies of The Big Issue have been sold, putting $34 million into the pockets of thousands of vendors.

CEO of The Big Issue Steven Persson said accessing healthcare such as flu vaccinations can be difficult for vendors who often lack the resources many Australians take for granted.

“At a time when people experiencing disadvantage have been doing it even tougher as a result of the pandemic, having easy access to free vaccinations in places they are familiar with is invaluable for our vendors.

“This is the fifth year Bupa’s nurses have vaccinated our vendors and we are grateful for their support,” Mr Persson said.

Bupa encourages all Australians to purchase a copy of The Big Issue to support vendor livelihoods and to make an appointment to receive their own flu vaccination if they have not already done so.

For more information on The Big Issue visit here.

For more information on influenza and how you can protect yourself visit here.