Patient Education
Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines for Dermatology Patients on Immunosuppressive Therapy
If your skin condition is treated with a biologic, methotrexate, or another immune-modulating medication, this applies to you.
Why This Applies to So Many Dermatology Patients
A wide range of conditions we treat, including psoriasis, moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, alopecia areata, and autoimmune skin diseases like lupus or dermatomyositis, are managed with biologics, JAK inhibitors, methotrexate, or systemic corticosteroids. These medications work by calming an overactive immune response, which is exactly what makes them effective for these conditions, but it also means they can raise your risk of infection and, in some cases, blunt how well certain vaccines work.
What This Means in Practice
For most patients on immunosuppressive therapy, staying current on both the annual flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccination is generally encouraged, not discouraged, since the risk from the actual infections typically outweighs vaccine-related concerns. That said, timing can matter: some providers recommend vaccinating before starting certain therapies, or scheduling vaccination around a lower-dose point in a treatment cycle, to help the vaccine work as effectively as possible.
This isn't a one-size-fits-all decision. Your dermatologist and your primary care provider or pharmacist are the right team to coordinate timing with your specific treatment plan.
Who It's For
Relevant to anyone currently on or starting a biologic, methotrexate, JAK inhibitor, systemic corticosteroid, or other immune-modulating treatment for a skin condition. Bring this up with both your dermatology and primary care team so vaccine timing can be coordinated with your treatment schedule.
This page is for general education and isn't a substitute for medical advice. Vaccines aren't administered at our office; talk to your primary care provider or pharmacist about your vaccination status. If you have a skin condition and questions about how vaccine timing fits with your treatment plan, feel free to bring it up at your next dermatology visit.