Vaccination Coverage and COVID-19 Severity in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at University Hospital Strasbourg, France, has revealed a potential link between vaccination and a decreased severity of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The study, published in the journal Vaccine, compared the COVID-19 severity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis who were vaccinated against pneumococcus and influenza to those who were not vaccinated. The findings suggest that vaccination may induce trained immunity, which can help mitigate the severity of COVID-19.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study identified 406,156 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, with 64.6% being women and a mean age of 62.2 years. Pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rates were 37.8% and 40.5%, respectively.
  • Multivariate analysis demonstrated that pneumococcal vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization, with an odds ratio of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78-0.91).
  • The study recorded 0.9% COVID-19 hospitalizations, 0.24% severe infections, and 0.17% deaths, suggesting a relatively low risk of severe outcomes.
  • The research suggests that vaccination-induced trained immunity may be involved in shaping the immune response to other infections, including COVID-19.
  • The study concluded that the findings provide evidence of the potential benefits of vaccination in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Statistics:

  • 406,156 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were identified in the study.
  • 64.6% of patients were women.
  • The mean age of patients was 62.2 years.
  • 37.8% of patients were vaccinated against pneumococcus.
  • 40.5% of patients were vaccinated against influenza.
  • 0.9% of patients were hospitalized due to COVID-19.
  • 0.24% of patients experienced severe infections due to COVID-19.
  • 0.17% of patients died due to COVID-19.

Sources:

  • Pneumococcal and influenza vaccination coverage and impact on COVID-19 infection severity in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases: A French National Healthcare Database analysis. Vaccine, 2025;61:127439.
  • University Hospital Strasbourg
  • Public Health Department, University Hospital Strasbourg
  • Thibaut Fabacher, Public Health Department, University Hospital Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
  • Maxime Auroux, Erik Sauleau, Laurent Arnaud, and Fabienne Coury