3/9/2026
Children with pediatric rheumatic diseases were receiving COVID-19 vaccines at relatively high rates as of 2023, with serious side effects appearing rare, according to a global caregiver survey from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance. The findings, published in EULAR Rheumatology Open, reflect caregiver-reported data collected during the Alliance’s 2023 pediatric data collection effort. They offer a snapshot of vaccination patterns and outcomes roughly three years into the pandemic, when questions about vaccine safety in medically complex children remained a key concern.
Of particular concern were children with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, who are often considered at higher risk for infections but were underrepresented in initial vaccine trials. To help address this evidence gap, researchers collected real-world data directly from caregivers around the world.
Adults caring for children with pediatric rheumatic diseases were invited to complete an online questionnaire, available in 25 languages and distributed through email, social media, and patient organizations. Caregivers reported whether their children had been vaccinated, any side effects, whether they had contracted COVID-19, and whether they experienced severe illness or longer-term symptoms.
The dataset included 592 caregivers reporting on 616 children. About 70% of children and 92% of caregivers had been vaccinated, and serious vaccine-related side effects were uncommon, occurring in just 2.7% of children. While about two-thirds of children had experienced a COVID-19 infection, relatively few required hospitalization (3.7%).
Longer-term symptoms consistent with postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (i.e., long COVID) were reported in about 13.5% of children, though only a little over half of those cases had been formally diagnosed. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious complication, was reported in 3.4% of cases.
The researchers note some limitations of the study. Because the study relied on self-reported data, the findings may be affected by recall bias and may not fully represent all children with pediatric rheumatic diseases. Medical outcomes were also not independently verified. Still, the results offer reassurance: as of 2023, COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe in this population, and severe or long-term complications from infection remain relatively uncommon.
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