New paper authored by the NPF Task Force addresses COVID-19 vaccination for psoriatic disease patients and the latest treatment guidance.
Portland, Oregon – January 7, 2021
To continue the ongoing support for the psoriatic disease community, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) COVID-19 Task Force announced publication of updated guidance statements for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Shared decision making, adherence to evidence-based treatment, and the urgent use of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination are recommended.
In the 15 weeks since publication of the Task Force’s first guidance statements, also in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, there have been more than 21,300,000 additional cases of COVID-19 and 361,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Globally, there have been more than 87,000,000 additional cases and 1,880,000 deaths.
Responding quickly to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine, new guidance statements address vaccine use in psoriatic disease patients for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
“The new mRNA-based vaccines are major breakthroughs,” said Joel Gelfand, M.D., MSCE, Professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Co-Chair of the NPF COVID-19 Task Force. “They are 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 illness with an excellent safety profile. We recommend that patients with psoriatic disease get an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them. Patients may continue their biologic or oral therapies for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis during the period of receiving an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine.”
The guidance statements also contain refined treatment recommendations for patients who become infected with SARS-CoV-2, based upon current data.
Updated guidance statements were a result of a modified Delphi process, which asked Task Force members to provide consensus on critical questions posed by patients and health care providers. The NPF Task Force updated evidence for the original statements and added new guidance statements. Statements will continue to be updated as new data and insights emerge.
“The emergency use authorization of novel COVID-19 vaccines represents a momentous milestone for the psoriatic disease community and the world and is an illustration of the power of science and collaboration,” said Stacie Bell, Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation. “Throughout this unprecedented time, the NPF COVID-19 Task Force has strived to support our community as we navigate the pandemic. We are very fortunate to have this fantastic group providing their continued guidance.”
The National Psoriasis Foundation launched its COVID-19 Task Force in May 2020, charged to identify critical needs for the psoriatic disease community and to serve as an expert resource to the organization in an advisory capacity. The Task Force is comprised of physicians with expertise in dermatology, rheumatology, infectious disease, and critical care, in addition to fellows and NPF staff.
The Foundation continues to closely monitor the evolving situation. NPF encourages the psoriatic disease community to visit its COVID-19 Resource Center, adhere to public health guidelines, and consult with a health care provider if infected with SARS-CoV-2.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
Serving its community through more than 50 years of patient support, advocacy, research, education and funding, the National Psoriasis Foundation, NPF, is the world’s leading nonprofit fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The NPF mission is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and dramatically improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created its Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. To date, NPF has funded more than $24 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at psoriasis.org