A Psoriatic Patient-Based Survey on the Understanding of the Use of Vaccines While on Biologics During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Formula: see text]

Skin Manifestations in Psoriatic and HS Patients in Treatment with Biologicals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a global public health emergency, has changed dermatology practice and daily routine in just under two years. Much has been written in the literature about COVID-19-associated skin manifestations. Nevertheless, much less has been written regarding skin manifestations in patients affected by severe immune-mediated skin diseases, e.g., psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa, undergoing biological treatment during the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, the aim of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the cutaneous manifestations during the COVID-19 pandemic in this subset of patients.

Safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in psoriatic patients treated with biologics: A real life experience

Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent and control the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and biologics are not considered a contraindication for vaccination. The burning question is that safety data are lacking since patients taking drugs affecting the immune system were excluded from clinical trials leading to vaccine approbation. Moreover, it seems that vaccination could worsen psoriasis. We conducted a survey to investigate the safety of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines in psoriatic patients treated with biologics. A total of 150 patients with stable plaque psoriasis treated with biologics for at least 2 months were evaluated in a 3 months period. Fifty patients (22 F/28 M; age: 33–83 years) only underwent the first and second doses of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines. All patients discontinued their biological agents 10 days before and 10 days after each dose of vaccine. Of these, 24 patients were treated with anti‐TNF, 14 with anti‐IL17, 7 with anti‐IL12‐23, and 5 with anti‐IL23. After the vaccines, all patients were evaluated at day 2, 7, and 14 for local and/or systemic side effects and/or adverse drug reactions to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines. None of the patients experienced any side effects or a psoriatic flare. Only one patient treated with infliximab biosimilar referred an exacerbation of psoriasis after vaccine. The remaining 100 patients reported that they did not get the vaccine yet. Our preliminary data confirm that SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNA vaccines are safe for patients with chronic plaque psoriasis treated with biologics and did not trigger psoriasis, although these data should be validated in a larger population. We encourage an early SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines administration in all psoriatic patients on immunosuppressant drugs.