As the number of COVID-19 cases has risen in many areas, some cities and states have reimplemented face mask requirements. Yesterday, the CDC announced that they recommend that people who have been fully vaccinated should wear face masks indoors in places with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission rates. 

When the CDC originally revised its mask recommendations for fully vaccinated people earlier this spring, the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG-USA) issued a response. One point in the response was, "You can still wear a mask. It's never wrong to be more cautious. While masks may not be required, ultimately, wearing masks is a personal decision based on factors such as your comfort with risk, the rate of infection in your community, and the risk of potentially bringing home the virus (especially if someone in the home is at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19). We still recommend some caution." 

We do not have data specifically for people with Down syndrome on the effectiveness of the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine. Some people with Down syndrome do have impaired immunity (and potentially lower response to the vaccine) so the extra precaution of wearing a mask in public places in all places, regardless of transmission rate, might be appropriate for some individuals with Down syndrome. 

To review the complete response from DSMIG, please see this link. 

To read more about immune response to COVID-19 vaccines, please see this link.

To determine the level of transmission in your area, please see the CDC website at this link.