According to experts, people with Down syndrome should prioritize COVID-19 vaccination.

If you have Down Syndrome or are a caregiver for a person with Down Syndrome, you may already be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. In some states, people with Down syndrome are prioritized for vaccination because of the high risk of severe cases of COVID-19.

International Studies published by Lancet’s Clinical Medicine The journal found that people with Down syndrome are at increased risk of dying from COVID-19 when compared to the general population. Throughout the April-October 2020 survey, health data for more than 1,000 Down Syndrome patients infected with COVID-19 was collected. Condition:

• Viral pneumonia
• Bacterial pneumonia
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome

“People with Down Syndrome have a triple risk of death after infection, so vaccination should be prioritized, especially for adults over the age of 40,” said one of the study’s authors. Anke Huels, PhDAn assistant professor at Emory University in Georgia told Verywell.

Premature aging increases COVID-19 risk

Previous studies have shown that people with Down syndrome experience premature aging and develop at a higher rate than those who do not have a condition like Alzheimer’s disease.

A February study found that the mortality rate of people with Down syndrome infected with COVID-19 increased at age 40. By comparison, a study of COVID-19 mortality in the general population shows that the likelihood of death increases significantly around age 70.

“For people with Down Syndrome, 40 is like 65 in terms of thinking about who should be vaccinated.” Robert A. Sole, MDA pediatric professor at Prisma Health in South Carolina told Berrywell. “The message to take home is that anyone with Down Syndrome should be vaccinated with this vaccine.” According to Sole, the exception is people under the age of 16, and further research is needed for adolescents and children. Because.

Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-The United States recommends that people with Down Syndrome be vaccinated against COVID-19, except for those with severe allergies.

Impact of expanding residential care

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities may live in apartment buildings.October 2020 study published in Disability Health Journal The lack of adequate safety measures for COVID-19 suggests that it may be associated with increased viral epidemics and mortality in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in group homes. This study did not distinguish the results between people with Down syndrome and those with other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

People with Down Syndrome who live in group homes, as well as older people in nursing homes, may be at increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. Research published in Lancet We have not investigated whether the infection rate of people with Down syndrome depends on their living conditions.

“We included only individuals who were already infected with COVID-19, but the mortality rate was similar to that of group homes, long-term care facilities, or where they lived at home,” Huels says.

Importance of continuous treatment

Children and adults with Down Syndrome will benefit from participating in a variety of treatments. According to the Eunice Schreiber National Institute of Pediatric Health Development, these include:

• Physical therapy
• Speech therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Emotional and behavioral therapy

Huels says one of the reasons why it is important for people with Down Syndrome to prioritize the COVID-19 vaccine is to be able to return to treatments and other activities that help manage cognitive and physical health. Mr. says.

“It’s really important that they not only have contact with doctors, but only with people and have social contact,” she says. “The clinic has already observed that shielded people with Down Syndrome also suffer from cognitive decline.”

Caregiver prioritization

Several different states throughout the United States, such as Oregon and North Carolina, also prioritize paid and unpaid caregivers for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Many people with Down Syndrome may not be able to isolate themselves from their essential caregivers in their lives because of the physical contact needed to support them.2017 study published in Portuguese journal Science and collective health We have found that children and adolescents with Down Syndrome need significantly more help in eating, bathing, and changing clothes than those without this condition.

For states like South Carolina, Saul states that advocates sought to include caregivers early in the deployment of the vaccine. “Because they are important to children with intellectual or disabilities, we had to push hard to allow caregivers to be vaccinated,” he says.

For more information on when people with Down Syndrome or their caregivers are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in US states, see Johns Hopkins University. COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization Dashboard..