In a study led by the LuMind IDSC Foundation, the T21RS COVID-19 Initiative launched an international survey to obtain information on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals with Down syndrome.
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have a higher risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19. At the same time, a great percentage of individuals with Down syndrome depend on their caregivers to make the decision to be vaccinated. That is why better understanding of the efficacy and risks of COVID-19 vaccines with factual and vetted information may inform their decisions and help improve uptake of vaccination.
“COVID-19 vaccines have been deemed to be safe and effective against reducing mortality and hospitalization and these benefits have been shown to outweigh the currently known side effects.”
In this study, researchers developed an online survey to obtain data related to vaccination status, side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, and breakthrough infections from 2172 individuals with Down syndrome through an international survey launched by the Trisomy 21 Research Society (T21RS).
Their results show that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for individuals with Down syndrome and effective in terms of resulting in minimal breakthrough infections (infections that may occur after the individual is fully vaccinated), where the symptoms are usually milder and requiring fewer hospitalizations than in those who are unvaccinated.
As individuals with Down syndrome are at a very high risk for severe COVID-19 and death after infection, it is particularly important for them to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to receive their booster as soon as eligible, regardless of any current medical conditions or prior infection.
For more information and updates about COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 and Down Syndrome Resources page.