HHS to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Source: HHS to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (Administration for Community Living, News Release, March 29, 2021)
CDC and ACL Will Provide Nearly $100 Million in Grants to Aging and Disability Networks in Every State and Territory
As part of President Biden’s announcement today that the administration will take further action to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL), will provide nearly $100 million to help increase vaccinations among older adults and people with disabilities. This effort will help advance the key goals of protecting those most vulnerable and advancing equity within President Biden’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness.
With funding from CDC, ACL will issue nearly $93 million in grants to the aging and disability networks in every state and territory. These funds will help provide critical services to overcome barriers that are preventing millions of those most at risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19 from receiving vaccines. This partnership also will provide an additional $5 million in funding for national hotlines to assist older adults and people with disabilities in registering for a vaccination and to connect them with local disability and aging agencies that can provide services and supports necessary to access them.
“The Biden Administration is committed to expanding access to vaccines, with a unique focus on ensuring those hit hardest by COVID-19 and at highest risk for severe illness or death get vaccinated,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Through this unique, exciting new partnership between ACL and CDC, HHS will work alongside advocates to help older adults and people with disabilities get the services and assistance they need in order to get vaccinated and have the security of knowing they are protected from COVID-19.”
These grants will provide assistance with scheduling vaccine appointments, transportation to vaccine sites, direct support services needed to attend vaccine appointments, connection to in-home vaccination options, and education about the importance of receiving the vaccine to older adults and people with disabilities. In addition, these grants will enable the aging and disability networks to identify people who are unable to independently travel to vaccination sites and to provide technical assistance to local health departments on improving access to vaccines for people with disabilities and older adults.
Approximately $5 million will help fund national hotlines to connect older adults and people with disabilities with local disability and aging agencies that can assist with vaccine registration and provide services and supports necessary to get the vaccine. This funding will increase the capacity of the Eldercare Locator, a nationwide service funded by ACL that connects older Americans and their caregivers with trustworthy local support resources. It also will leverage the infrastructure of the Eldercare Locator to provide, for the first time, a similar service for people with disabilities.
An additional $93 million in funding will be distributed as follows:
- State Units on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging ($50 million)
- Aging and Disability Resource Centers (S26 million)
- Centers for Independent Living that receive federal funding directly from ACL ($5 million)
- University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities ($4 million)
- Protection and Advocacy systems ($4 million)
- State Councils on Developmental Disabilities ($4 million)
Background: Vaccine Barriers for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Older adults are more likely to have a severe illness, be hospitalized, or die from COVID-19; adults 65 and older account for 8 of every 10 COVID-19-related deaths. People with disabilities also often are at increased risk; in fact, a recent study found that intellectual disability is the greatest risk factor after age. Many people with disabilities have additional conditions that increase risk for severe illness due to COVID-19, and many others are at increased risk because they live in group settings, require close contact with direct service providers who help with activities of daily living, and/or have difficulty complying with mitigation protocols.
Although vaccination is particularly important for these populations, many people with disabilities and older adults have difficulty:
- Finding information about their eligibility and where to go for the vaccine and scheduling appointments. (Approximately one in four older adults does not have a computer or internet service to find information about how to get vaccinated and how to schedule appointments. Many live alone and do not have family who can help them.)
- Obtaining accessible transportation
- Navigating mass vaccination sites
In addition, about one in five older adults and many people with disabilities may be unable to easily leave their homes and require either in-home vaccination or specialized arrangements to receive the vaccine.
The funding announced today will help address these barriers and ensure that older adults and people with disabilities can equitably access vaccines. More information and resources on COVID-19 and older adults and people with disabilities can be found on ACL’s COVID-19 webpage.
About the Administration for Community Living
The Administration for Community Living was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. By funding services and supports provided by networks of community-based organizations, and with investments in research, education, and innovation, ACL helps make this principle a reality for millions of Americans.
About the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities strives to advance the health and well-being of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. NCBDDD’s work is broad and far-reaching, and includes four areas of focus: saving babies through surveillance, research, and prevention of birth defects and infant disorders; helping children live to the fullest by understanding developmental disabilities; protecting people by preventing the complications of blood disorders; improving the health of people living with disabilities.
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