Pneumococcal vaccine uptake in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a single centre cohort study.

This study assesses pneumococcal vaccine uptake among 906 UK patients with inflammatory arthritis—including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis—between October and December 2023. Despite recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for pneumococcal vaccination in individuals over 65 or immunosuppressed, only 35% of the cohort received the pneumococcal vaccine, compared to higher uptake rates for influenza (63%) and Covid-19 (87%) vaccines. Older age, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) therapy, and additional JCVI Green Book risk indicators were significant predictors of pneumococcal vaccination, while ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation were not. The findings highlight notably lower pneumococcal vaccine uptake in younger patients and those not on biologic therapy, suggesting a need for targeted strategies distinct from those used for influenza and Covid-19 vaccination programs to improve coverage in this vulnerable population.