On 9 September, Special Olympics hosted Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for a Q&A on the COVID-19 vaccine. Joined by Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Dr. Alicia Bazzano and Chief Inspiration Officer Loretta Claiborne, the group spoke about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, the introduction of booster shots, and the importance of being vaccinated, especially for people with intellectual disabilities. Watch the full Q&A on Special Olympics Facebook page.
People with intellectual disabilities often do not have equitable access to healthcare. In the United States, a recent study showed that people with intellectual disabilities are almost 6x more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population.1
Special Olympics has created a COVID-19 toolkit for athletes, coaches, and caregivers to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and how they can protect themselves from the virus. The CDC launched an additional COVID-19 toolkit to further reach this population.
[1] Gleason, J., Ross, W., Fossi, A., Blonsky, H., Tobias, J., & Stephens, M. (2021). The devastating impact of Covid-19 on individuals with intellectual disabilities in the United States. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, 2 (2).