COVID-19 Vaccines Deemed Safe, Effective for Patients with Skin Conditions

Izabela Jęśkowiak-Kossakowska, Pharm.D.

Credit: ResearchGate

Results of a study that examined how people with chronic skin conditions responded to COVID-19 vaccines found that not only are the vaccines effective in preventing severe illness across all doses, but they are safe and effective among individuals with skin conditions — such as eczema, acne and psoriasis — and other health issues.

As vaccination helps reduce the occurrence of infection, it is important that individuals, particularly immunocompromised patients or those with chronic conditions, are protected. Equally important is the monitoring of side effects and providing the public with accurate information on potential side effects that can occur in the weeks after vaccination to minimize the impact of unexpected symptoms.

“This study represents one of the few comprehensive analyses conducted in a Central Europe context, providing unique insights into the interaction between COVID-19 vaccination and chronic skin diseases and comorbidities,” wrote lead investigator Izabela Jęśkowiak-Kossakowska, Pharm.D., associated with the Department of Pharmacology at Wroclaw Medical University in Poland. “The findings are crucial for guiding public health strategies and clinical practices, particularly in populations with preexisting conditions, an area that has been largely under-researched until now.”

Investigators conducted an online survey from May 2022 to February 2023, including over 500 students and university staff in Wrocław, Poland. They assessed vaccine-related side effects, the occurrence and severity of postvaccination reactions, and whether COVID-19 or the vaccines affected conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis and vitiligo. Comorbidities including rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease were also evaluated.

Among those surveyed, most were women (404 participants) and had attained a higher level of education (347 participants). The ages of individuals were generally evenly distributed between 19 and 60-plus years. Most (59.5%) were previously diagnosed with COVID-19, although the majority (46.2%) experienced only mild symptoms. Approximately 1 out of 4 (27.8%) reported having a skin disease.

The findings emphasized that COVID-19 vaccines were effective in preventing severe illness across all doses. Additionally, neither the COVID-19 infection nor the vaccines significantly impacted existing skin conditions or other health problems.

Reports of side effects, called adverse events following immunization (AEFIs), were low. However, more AEFIs were linked to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, especially after the second and third shots, than with AstraZeneca, which had fewer side effects with later doses.

Investigators said choosing the right vaccine might depend on a person's health profile, and better reporting of side effects is important to ensure vaccine safety.

The comprehensive online survey, which was distributed to multiple universities, strengthened the findings, and allowed for a diverse dataset of complete responses. Further, investigators noted confounding variables were minimized due to the homogenous population of students and university staff members. In-depth analysis was performed because investigators were able to collect pertinent information on health outcomes related to COVID-19 vaccination and infection, as well as key demographic information.

However, using this homogeneous population also limited the generalizability of the results to a specific set of participants living in a particular region in Poland. Another limitation was that investigators were unable to fully account for preexisting health conditions, environmental factors and lifestyle choices.

“The data suggest that patients with comorbidities or chronic skin conditions can be safely vaccinated without exacerbating their underlying conditions,” investigators concluded. “Despite the clear effectiveness of the vaccines, particularly in reducing COVID-19 severity, postvaccination reactions remain underreported, highlighting the need for improved safety monitoring. Future research should focus on the long-term impact of vaccines on specific patient populations and expand the analysis to include less-represented vaccines, such as Johnson & Johnson.”