Updated Covid jabs were linked to much lower hospital risk in people with autoimmune arthritis
What happened
A study published on 9 September 2026 has looked at whether Covid-19 booster and updated vaccines still help people whose immune systems are affected by autoimmune rheumatic conditions. The research appears in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology and comes from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Autoimmune rheumatic conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis and several others. They are conditions where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. Many people with these conditions take medicines that damp the immune system down, which can also make vaccines work less well. The team used real-world health records covering 60,980 adults in the United States who had one of these conditions and who caught Covid-19 between December 2020 and August 2024. They then compared what happened next, depending on which vaccines people had received. Compared with people who were unvaccinated, those who had received a booster had 71 per cent lower odds of being admitted to hospital. Those who had received an updated 2023 to 2024 vaccine had 69 per cent lower odds. People who had only had the original two-dose course, with no booster, had 41 per cent lower odds. Put another way: staying up to date mattered. Comparing people with only the primary course against those who had gone on to have boosters or updated vaccines, the absolute reduction in hospital admission risk was 5.6 percentage points.
Why this matters
About 450,000 people in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis, and tens of thousands more live with lupus and related conditions. Many take medicines such as methotrexate, biologics or steroids. For that group, the question is not really whether Covid still exists. It is whether the vaccines still do anything useful for someone whose immune system is being deliberately suppressed. This study is a reasonably direct answer. Among people who did catch Covid, those who had kept up with boosters were far less likely to end up in hospital. There is a second, quieter point. Vaccine uptake has fallen in many countries since the peak of the pandemic. That drop has been noticeable among people who are not obviously frail, which includes plenty of adults in their thirties, forties and fifties living with an autoimmune condition. Dr Lesley E. Jackson, one of the authors, said the results "underscore the need for continued efforts by clinicians... to help ensure that these patients remain current." Dr Maria I. Danila added that "updated vaccines continue to offer substantial protection in this medically vulnerable population."
What the evidence actually says
This is observational research using real-world records, not a randomised trial. That distinction matters. People who choose to have boosters may differ from people who do not in ways records cannot fully capture. They may be more likely to be under regular specialist care. They may be more cautious in other ways, or have easier access to health services. Researchers can adjust for a lot of this, but not all of it. So the honest reading is that boosters were strongly associated with lower hospital admission, not that this study alone proves the size of the effect. The study also has a specific frame: it looked at people who had already caught Covid. It is telling us about how badly the illness went, not about whether vaccination stopped people catching it in the first place. The time period runs from December 2020 to August 2024, which covers several different variants and several different vaccine formulations. That is a strength, because the pattern held across changing conditions. It is also a limitation, because "a booster" did not mean the same product throughout. Finally, this is US data. The UK's eligibility rules for Covid vaccination are narrower and are set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Who is offered a vaccine here is a separate question from what the vaccine does once given.
Qurexa perspective
Many people with autoimmune rheumatic conditions are on repeat medicines for years, and a fair number find getting to a pharmacy genuinely difficult - because of pain, fatigue, reduced mobility, or simply because flares do not arrange themselves around opening hours. That is the group we set up prescription delivery for. Reliable delivery of a regular medicine is not glamorous, but missed doses of immune-modifying medicines are not a small thing. We would also gently point out something this study implies: if you are immunosuppressed, your pharmacy team is a useful ally. Pharmacists can tell you which of your medicines affect vaccine response, and they can flag anything that needs a conversation with your rheumatology team.
Practical advice
If you have an autoimmune rheumatic condition, check whether you are currently eligible for a Covid vaccine in the UK. Eligibility here is narrower than in the US. The NHS currently offers it to people aged 75 and over, residents of older adults' care homes, and people aged six months and over with a weakened immune system - which includes many people taking long-term immunosuppressive treatment or steroid medicine. Eligibility is set nationally and changes from season to season. Ask your rheumatology team or GP directly. Do not assume that because you were eligible last year you are eligible now, or the other way round. If you take medicines that suppress the immune system, ask whether the timing of a vaccine around your dose makes a difference. For some medicines it does. This is a specific, answerable question and your specialist nurse will usually know. Keep your flu vaccination up to date as well. People with these conditions are usually eligible, and flu is a bigger everyday threat for many of them. If you do catch Covid, tell your rheumatology team, particularly if you take a biologic or steroids. Some people are eligible for antiviral treatment, which works best when started early. Do not stop immune-suppressing medicines on your own because you are worried about infection. Stopping suddenly can trigger a flare, and a flare often needs steroids, which brings its own risks.
What to know
A study of 60,980 US adults with autoimmune rheumatic conditions who caught Covid found that boosters were linked to 71 per cent lower odds of hospital admission, and updated 2023-24 vaccines to 69 per cent lower odds, compared with being unvaccinated. The original two-dose course alone was linked to a 41 per cent reduction, which suggests staying up to date does more than starting. This is observational real-world data from the US, not a randomised trial, and it looked at outcomes among people who had already caught Covid. If you live with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or a similar condition, the practical step is to ask your GP or rheumatology team what you are currently eligible for in the UK. Sources: Medical Xpress, "Should adults with autoimmune rheumatic conditions receive updated COVID-19 vaccines?", 9 September 2026, https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-adults-autoimmune-rheumatic-conditions-covid.html ; Jackson LE, Danila MI et al., Arthritis & Rheumatology (Wiley), University of Alabama at Birmingham, September 2026 ; NHS, "COVID-19 vaccine", https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. Do not change immune-suppressing medicines without speaking to your specialist team.
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