Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Vaccination Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DOS highlights vaccine access for people with disabilities, stresses elder-justice outreach
Summary
At its March 3 meeting the DOS Commission heard Executive Director Shereen McSpadden outline federal and state policy developments, say San Francisco is prioritizing people with disabilities for vaccines beginning March 15, and urge coordinated outreach to prevent violence against older Asian Americans.
Executive Director Shereen McSpadden told the Department of Disability and Aging Services (DOS) commission on March 3 that federal and state relief and planning efforts could shape local services for older adults and people with disabilities. She said a House relief package approaching $2 trillion includes funds for nutrition, supportive services and ombudsman work, and that the state’s Master Plan for Aging will create committees to guide long-term policy.
"The city has reported that at least 60 percent of people 65 and older have received at least 1 vaccine," McSpadden said, noting the city planned to prioritize people with disabilities beginning March 15 and that staff and community partners are working on pop-up and mobile approaches to improve access.
Commissioners pressed for details on how the city will reach homebound residents and people who may face documentation hurdles. Commissioner Sasha Bittner asked whether IHSS recipients and younger people with disabilities will receive notices and whether mobile sites or home-visit vaccinations are planned. McSpadden said the city is awaiting state guidance on verification requirements, that teams are pushing for "access ambassadors" at sites, and that staff are planning mobile or homebound vaccination approaches though a fixed home-visit program did not yet exist.
The meeting also turned to elder-justice concerns after Commissioner Nelson Lam, a retired San Francisco police officer, urged the commission to press the district attorney’s office to prosecute attacks on older Asian Americans, saying lack of punishment can embolden repeat offenders. McSpadden proposed forming a committee with community partners, forensic services and other city offices to coordinate prevention, outreach and reporting supports.
Why it matters: The DOS Commission acts as a local convenor for programs affecting older adults and people with disabilities. Shifts in federal funding, state-level Medi-Cal reforms and local vaccine prioritization affect how services are delivered and who is reached. Commissioners and advocates at the meeting emphasized that service design must reduce barriers for people with disabilities and address a recent rise in violence against older Asian Americans.
Next steps: City officials told the commission they expect more concrete guidance from the state and will continue planning mobile and outreach strategies; commissioners offered to help with community outreach and said they will follow up on proposed partnerships and committee work.
