How Well Does This Year’s COVID-19 Vaccine Really Protect You?
COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, and neither has the vaccine. But does it still work against the versions of the virus going around now? A team of researchers just finished reviewing the newest evidence to find out. They looked at 155 studies published between August 2025 and June 2026, covering everyone from newborns to older adults. Here’s what they found, and what it might mean for you.
Does the vaccine still lower your risk of being hospitalized?
If you’re 65 or older, yes. Among people in this age group, getting the updated vaccine was linked to about half the risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 compared with people who skipped it or had an older vaccine (53% lower risk, using data from the current 2025-2026 season). Older adults already face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 illness, so this age group saw some of the clearest benefit in the review.
What if you’re under 65?
The vaccine still helped, but the researchers are less certain exactly how much. Among adults ages 18 to 64, updated vaccination was linked to a 54% lower risk of COVID-19 hospitalization during the 2024-2025 season. That number came from a single study, and the range of possible true values was wide (anywhere from about 1% to 78% lower risk). In plain terms: the direction points toward real protection, but researchers don’t yet have as strong a handle on the exact size of the benefit in this age group as they do for older adults.
Are you pregnant, or do you have a baby at home?
Vaccination during pregnancy was linked to a lower risk of needing an urgent care or emergency room visit for COVID-19, both for the pregnant person (58% lower risk) and for their baby. Infants whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy had about half the risk of a COVID-19-related hospital visit in their first two months of life, no matter which trimester the vaccine was given in. That protection matters because very young infants can’t be vaccinated themselves yet, so a mother’s vaccine is one of the only ways to shield them early on.
What about young children?
For children ages 9 months to 4 years, vaccination was linked to a large drop in COVID-19-related emergency department visits, about 76% lower. Slightly older children, ages 5 to 17, also saw a meaningful reduction, though a smaller one. If you have young kids, this is one of the more clear-cut findings in the whole review.
What if you have a weakened immune system?
People with conditions that suppress the immune system, such as certain cancers, organ transplants, or immune-related diseases, face a higher risk of severe COVID-19 to begin with. In this group, vaccination was linked to a lower risk of critical illness, meaning intensive care admission or death, with the benefit ranging from about 32% to 53% depending on the specific condition. The range is wide because “immunocompromised” covers many different diagnoses, each with a different starting risk.
Is the vaccine safe?
The review didn’t turn up any new safety concerns. Researchers specifically checked for rare but serious problems like myocarditis (heart inflammation), stroke, and blood clots, and found rates consistent with what earlier reviews have already reported. Studies done under the newer vaccination schedule guidelines (which spaced out doses for certain younger groups starting in 2022) did not show a higher risk of heart inflammation. For pregnant people specifically, vaccination was not linked to a higher risk of stillbirth, preterm birth, or babies being smaller than expected for their stage of pregnancy.
What should you do next?
If you’re 65 or older, pregnant, caring for a young child, or living with a condition that weakens your immune system, this review is a reason to ask whether an updated COVID-19 vaccine makes sense for you this season. MHP’s primary care team includes preventive care and immunizations as part of routine visits, so it’s a natural thing to bring up at your next appointment, whether that’s a wellness visit, a prenatal visit, or your child’s checkup.
Source: Lipson RA, Senerth E, Watson MA, et al. “COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season.” JAMA. Published online September 2, 2026. doi:10.1001/jama.2026.18191