We've summarized the latest CDC guidance on vaccines and boosters below. Check our vaccination resources page for the latest guidance and resources.

Booster Shots

Who? CDC now recommends booster shots for everyone 12 years old and older.

When? Depends on which vaccine you received initially:

• Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna: You should get a booster FIVE months after your last primary dose.
• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen: You should get a booster TWO months after your primary dose. 

Which vaccine should you get?

• CDC recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children and either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna boosters for adults, regardless of which shot(s) you got initially.
• Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine is NOT recommended except in limited circumstances.
• You do NOT need to boost with the same vaccine you received initially.

Additional Primary Doses for People who are Immunocompromised:

Who? Moderately or severely immunocompromised people five and older who received initial doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.

When? 28 days after your second shot.

Which vaccine? Get the same vaccine you received for your first two doses. (CDC does NOT recommend mixing and matching for your additional dose).

Keep in mind: This is NOT the same as a booster shot, if you are 12 or older you should still get a booster shot after you complete your primary doses. In other words, you should get a booster five months after your third Pfizer or Moderna shot or two months after your single Johnson & Johnson shot.

Getting your vaccine or booster

• Find a vaccination site: Visit vaccines.gov, Text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
• Help for people with disabilities: The Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing DIAL@n4a.org any time. 
• Help for older adults: Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 or visit the website to chat live or browse resources. 

In recent years, accessibility awareness has become more and more prevalent. Everything from TV ads, to video games, to websites, accessibility is usually brought up some how in conversations. As great as that is, it's not turning into action.  There are gaps in accessibility because more training needs to be done. Accessibility awareness needs to be part of the culture.

Read more. 

• Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
• Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline.
• Participates in tribal-specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
• Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision.
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income program.

Federal officials are working to make sure that paid caregivers aren't being taken advantage of. The Department of Labor recently launched an initiative to protect the wages and rights of professional caregivers. The agency said it plans to educate these workers about rules related to minimum wage and overtime pay and how to file a complaint if their rights have been violated.

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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has submitted the updated statewide transition plan for final approval to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The HCBS settings rule requires states to develop a transition plan for reaching and maintaining compliance with the rule. Wisconsin's current plan for meeting the rule's requirements was last posted for public comment in March 2017 and submitted to CMS for review and approval. CMS gave initial approval of the statewide transition plan in July 2017. CMS then requested that updates and revisions be made and that DHS repost the updated plan for public comment. The updated statewide transition plan now reflects the updates and revisions CMS requested along with public comments from July 2021.

Find more information about the statewide transition plan on the DHS website.

Real Program Practices
Local senior nutrition programs share their creative practices for engaging participants.

• Sullivan Senior Center's Grab & Go – Connecticut program offers holiday smiles and meals.
• Georgia's Senior BrushStrokes – Camden County Senior Center fosters creative connection.

• Guided Imagery
• Text Challenge
• Recipe Sharing

Program Reopening Resources

• Reopening Considerations
• Safety Signage and Communication Materials 
• Reopening Resources List
• Reopening Experiences Network Discussion

On December 15, 2021, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of new sloped walkways for accessible entry on the National Mall side of the 111-year-old building. On behalf of the U.S. Access Board, Training Coordinator Bill Botten attended the ceremony and recognized the importance of providing compliant and accessible routes and entrances, stating “the Access Board commends the museum for this accessible design and ongoing commitment to removing barriers. It allows easier and more dignified access to the museum for people with disabilities, older adults, strollers users, and others. These sloped walkways are a great example for other museums and historic buildings on the National Mall to follow in providing more accessibility for the American public.”  

Learn more

Richard Branson. Jeff Bezos. Elan Musk. Michael Strahan. Those are just a couple of the famous people who took a trip into space recently. Yes, there have been other people who went who had significant connections to space, but these trips have been funded by well-known billionaires. I had a chance to watch news coverage of the most recent one where the famous football player and news broadcaster, Michael Strahan, went up to space.

Ever since I was young, I have had an interest in outer space. My junior year of high school, I did my multi genera research project on John Glenn, who was a famous astronaut. Watching the coverage of the space launch made me think about what if I wanted to go? Albeit a little scary at first, but I can’t imagine how cool it’d be to be totally weightless. What would happen to my muscles? Now, realistically, that’d probably never be possible because obviously I’m nowhere close to being a millionaire, but I was thinking about the principle of it—what the if a person with a disability could afford it and had the desire to go? I did a quick Google search and found out that it cost over $55 million to go to the space. That’s just for one person and I’m assuming it’s for only a few minutes like the recent trips have been. Right now, very few people in general could afford that, but, as more and more of these trips become reality, the cost will likely eventually decrease. There is already talk going around about a “space tourism industry.” Will people eventually vacation in space? It’s bizarre to think about, but it seems like it’s quickly becoming reality. This brings up a frequent question in the disability community--will it be accessible?

When Bezos went to space this past summer, a meme went around on social media saying something to the effect, “Another billionaire went to space today. If this is possible, why can’t people who use wheelchairs fly without having their wheelchairs wrecked? Why can’t air travel be inclusive? “That wasn’t the exact quote, but the point was that if regular civilians can go to space, we should be able to make air travel inclusive. As a person who has experienced having their wheelchair ruined by the airlines, I completely agree with the statement. A few years ago, I wrote a journal entry about how my chair was ruined on a trip to Vegas. Unfortunately, it happened on the way there, so it kind of wrecked the vacation for my parents and I. Since then, when I fly, I take my manual wheelchair which makes me dependent on others for almost everything.

In my opinion, there’s a bigger issue around this conundrum. Considering we’re in the 21^st century, why shouldn’t everything be inclusive? People with disabilities are one of the largest minorities in the world. When inventing new things and opportunities, regardless of what they are, inclusivity should be a factor in development. Yes, I understand this would make things more expensive and complex, but it’s time. I think back to my entry about the Eagle Tower in Door County--that’s a perfect example. It was knocked down due to safety concerns, and, when it was rebuilt, it was made accessible. Did it take longer and cost a lot more? Absolutely, but now a lot more people can enjoy it.  

While the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws have made a lot of things accessible, there is often a sense of frustration when people find out that things will take longer or cost more because they need to be made inclusive for everyone. As a person with a disability, knowing that people are frustrated because they have to wait longer or more money has to be spent to make something accessible, it saddens me. Am I not worth the wait or extra money? Now, of course, there are things that just can’t be made accessible. For those things, alternative options often can be made available. An example of this would be adaptive sports. They obviously aren’t the same as regular sports, but people with various limitations can experience what’s it’s like to play and compete.

Engineers are designing new airplanes and automobiles every day, why can’t we figure out how to get wheelchairs on planes? Yes, I understand it would take many years and billions of dollars to replace all the time airplanes, but, if we can send civilians to space, why can’t we figure out how to make wheelchair accessible cabins? Something doesn’t add up. While I understand the need and desire for extravagant recreational experiences, where does the need for accessibility fit in the priorities of the country? It’s definitely an interesting question to ponder. If we can send civilian tourists to space, we should be able to take flights in airplanes without our vital equipment being damaged. Unfortunately, I don’t foresee anything changing anytime soon. We, as a disability community, have to continue to make sure that we are seen and heard. That’s the only way changes are going to happen.

***The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors.