This research is being done to see if an additional shot of COVID-19 vaccine, called a "booster", will help people with autoimmune disease who are taking medications that weaken their immune system develop a better response to the vaccine. The study is also being done to see if temporarily stopping the medication you take for your autoimmune disease will help your immune system have a positive response to the vaccine booster.

This study will use the COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for initial vaccination, but they are not currently authorized or approved to be used as booster vaccinations – so their use in this study is experimental. This includes the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

This study is enrolling people over the age of 18 who have a diagnosis of lupus, scleroderma, or rheumatoid arthritis. You will be asked to come to the clinic for up to 8 research visits over 13 months. There might be no direct medical benefit to you for being in this study. The information learned from this study may someday benefit people with autoimmune disorders. Compensation is available for participation.

This study is a one-time visit for newly diagnosed lupus patients and healthy control subjects. Volunteers will be asked to answer questions about their medical, social, and diet history. Participants will also have blood, urine, and stool samples collected for testing. The purpose of this study is to understand what role organisms in the human gut and environmental exposures have on the development of autoimmune disease. This is not a drug study.