San Diego City Wire

Public Health Services in San Diego County has introduced a new mobile unit called the Live Well on Wheels (Live WoW) bus. This vehicle is designed to deliver health services and information to local communities directly.

The newly launched Live WoW bus will expand a fleet that includes two existing Live WoWs and a recently added HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Live WoW, bringing the total to four mobile resources. The vehicle is a nearly 12-foot-long Winnebago Freightliner, which serves as a public health resource, enabling the county to provide various programs and services directly to neighborhoods.

Common uses for Live WoWs include delivering outreach for public benefits, providing educational health information, and administering vaccinations. The new unit will focus specifically on public health, offering services such as testing for communicable diseases like Hepatitis A, dengue, and food-borne illnesses. It will also support investigations for tuberculosis and serve as a command-and-control vehicle for testing efforts.

In addition to disease testing, the new Live WoW can offer dental services like screenings and tooth sealants. It is also equipped for emergency public health preparedness response training and can respond to natural or man-made disasters.

Since the debut of the first Live WoW in July 2021, these mobile offices have reportedly supported over 1,400 community events, engaging in more than 117,000 service interactions, including nearly 16,000 COVID-19, flu, and general vaccinations.

The Live Well on Wheels buses are dispatched by the county to support community events. Information on how to request a Live WoW bus is accessible online.