Educating the public — Your expertise is essential

Last March, COVID-19 shut down the nation. But after 300,000,000 (and counting) COVID-19 vaccinations, we are opening up again; headed in a positive direction. Throughout it all, the public have learned that dermatologists are the experts on new and emerging science relating to the skin manifestations of the coronavirus — COVID-toes, acne mechanica (called maskne in the media), and now, COVID-19 vaccine skin reactions.

Vaccine skin reactions

In April, Esther Freeman, MD, PhD, FAAD, chair of the AAD’s COVID-19 Dermatology Registry Work Group, co-published the largest study of COVID-19 vaccine skin reactions in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

100 outlets covered the research

After we issued a news release highlighting study findings and encouraging the public to get vaccinated, more than 100 outlets covered the research, including USA Today, Washington Post, Reuters, and U.S. News and World Report, which were seen more than 190 million times.

It’s one of the many reasons you can be proud of your specialty. In a health care space of unknowns, you educated the public and led your colleagues in the house of medicine on telemedicine, skin conditions exacerbated by COVID-19, post COVID-19 care, and so much more.