Pediatric Survey Results

The results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Pediatric Survey (PDF) were presented at the 2024 American College of Rheumatology Convergence Annual Meeting.

Key findings

  • High vaccination rates: 70% of children with pediatric rheumatic disease received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 37% of otherwise healthy children.
  • Low adverse-reaction rates: 93% experienced no adverse vaccine reactions; severe reactions were rare (2.7%).
  • Post-COVID conditions: These were reported in 13.5% of children with pediatric rheumatic disease, compared with 25% of otherwise healthy children in the survey.
  • MIS-C: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children occurred in 3.4% of surveyed children, with higher occurrence among those with autoinflammatory diseases.

Caregiver concerns

Parents who were hesitant about vaccination often cited safety concerns and possible effects on their child’s rheumatic disease. In this survey, vaccines were generally safe and well tolerated. Close collaboration between rheumatologists and families may help explain the high vaccine uptake; continuing to address safety concerns and improve representation remains important.

Pediatric Survey 2023 thank-you graphic: 1,000 responses from 45 countries.

Thank you to every family who participated in this survey.