A 2025-2026 COVID-19 jab could keep you out of hospital

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-24 01:10

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The 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccines boost existing immunity against the virus, and protect people against emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisation, according to US scientists. They looked at records of 85,725 ED and urgent care encounters and 26,073 hospitalisations in otherwise healthy adults with a COVID-19–like illness. Crunching the numbers, they found the vaccines reduce the chances of an emergency department or urgent care encounter by 50%, and reduce the chances of hospitalisation by 55%, compared to not having a 2025-26 jab. The findngs suggest it's still worth getting that regular vaccine booster, the authors conclude.

News release

From: JAMA

Interim Estimated Effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccines in Adults Using a Test-Negative Design

About The Study: In this study, receipt of 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccination was associated with additional protection beyond existing immunity in adults against medically attended COVID-19, including emergency department/urgent care encounters and hospitalizations, compared with no receipt of a 2025-2026 vaccine dose. These findings suggest that adults can reduce their likelihood of severe COVID-19–associated outcomes by obtaining a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccination.

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Research JAMA, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research: Link to Paper 1 | Paper 2

Organisation/s: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA

Funder: This study was supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through contracts toWestat Inc (Contract No. 75D30121D12779) and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (Contract No. 75D30123C17595).

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