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Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Calls for Vaccine Equity in Boston Herald

Dr. Alicia Bazzano, MD, PH.D, MPH calls for immediate COVID-19 vaccination prioritization of people with intellectual disabilities.
Renee Manfredi sits in a chair at a clinic with her sleeve rolled up to her shoulder right before she gets the vaccine.
Special Olympics Hawaii athlete Renee Manfredi during her COVID-19 vaccination.

This is an excerpt from the article titled Study: People with intellectual disabilities 2.5 times more likely to contract coronavirus, nearly six times more likely to die from it. It was published on April 22, 2021 in the Boston Herald.

"Even now that all of them are eligible for a vaccine, many people with intellectual disabilities don’t know how to make appointments and can’t drive to a vaccination site," said Dr. Alicia Bazzano, Chief Health Officer, Special Olympics.

“It is shocking. It is horrifying,” Bazzano said. “Many of them are being left behind. We see it in our athletes who are dying. We need to do something about it — today. Any other population who has this high risk should be prioritized.”

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