Dear Colleagues and Sponsors,

As the outbreak of COVID-19 has been developing worldwide, the GVF Leadership has been closely tracking its impact within the global dermatology community. We have been monitoring daily recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), along with the numerous travel restrictions issued by companies and medical institutions.

Last night we received word that the AAD made the difficult, but necessary decision to cancel the AAD 2020 Annual Meeting in Denver. This communication is to officially notify you that the GVF Scientific Symposium has been canceled.

Preparing for the symposium involves the time, talent, and creativity of a great many of our physician volunteers, speakers, management team/staff and event partners. We are incredibly grateful for this and deeply disappointed not to be able to hold the symposium as planned.

In the coming weeks, we will explore virtual meeting options that deliver the planned education and posters that were schedule for the symposium. Through regularly posted updates on globalvitiligofoundation.org and our other GVF social communication channels, we will keep all participants apprised of our plans to deliver the research, knowledge, and expert insight you value from the symposium.

We will be communicating specific information in the next several days to those who had planned to attend, present, and sponsor our meeting. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we consider the rapidly changing circumstances as well as the safety and well-being of not just our symposium participants and staff, but their families, colleagues, and patients.

Sincerely,

Co-Chair – Iltefat Hamzavi, MD
Co- Chair – Vicki Tiahrt
Secretary/Treasurer – Kim Boyd

Global Vitiligo Foundation Board of Directors
Pearl Grimes, MD
John E. Harris, MD, PhD
Richard H. Huggins, MD
Henry W. Lim, MD
Amit G. Pandya, MD