For the Undersecretary of Health Sandra Zampa, never as this year is it important to vaccinate children (“it’s a shield”). The TAR cancels the Lazio ordinance which required the administration to over 65s
by Nicola Barone
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For the Undersecretary of Health Sandra Zampa, never as this year is it important to vaccinate children (“it’s a shield”). The TAR cancels the Lazio ordinance which required the administration to over 65s
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It protects against an infection that is not at all trivial like the flu can be in some cases. It helps to make a differential diagnosis compared to Covid-19 but above all, judging by some evidence, it seems to increase the overall immune response by providing an extra weapon of defense against SARS-CoV-2 disease. In addition to those suffering from a chronic disease and the over 65s, the flu vaccine is recommended according to the operational guidelines also for children aged from 6 months to 6 years and for all subjects from 60 years of age. This is to avoid the concomitance of flu symptoms with those from Covid-19 in the winter season, causing trouble in health services starting from emergencies. «Never before is it important to vaccinate children as this year. It’s a shield », the undersecretary of health Sandra Zampa suggests directly.
Elderly and children
The administration is free of charge for the so-called categories of the fragile population, the chronically ill and the elderly over 65. For the 2020-2021 flu season, however, the circular from the Ministry of Health provides for the extension of the recommendation to the vaccine from the age of 60. Vaccination, it is specified, “can be offered free of charge in the 60-64 age group”, while until now it was free from the age of 65. For protected categories, vaccination is requested by the family doctor or pediatrician and is carried out in the same doctors’ offices. In relation to children, for whom vaccination is currently recommended in specific conditions or if suffering from particular diseases, the circular emphasizes the opportunity to recommend vaccination in the 6 months-6 years age group also in order to reduce circulation influenza virus among adults and the elderly in the current pandemic phase. “For children it is essential not to confuse the symptoms, which are very similar, and not to run to hospitals fearing that it will be worse”, explains Zampa.
Healthcare workers and pregnant women
Anti-flu is strongly recommended also to health and social health professions who work in contact with patients and the elderly institutionalized in residential or long-term hospital structures. It is also appropriate, notes the ministry, “to sensitize both general practitioners and gynecologists and obstetricians on the importance of influenza vaccination in pregnant women”, recalling that vaccination is offered free of charge. WHO considers pregnant women as “the most important of the risk groups for themselves and for the fetus”. All citizens from 6 to 60 years of age who intend to get vaccinated, but do not fall within the protected ranges, can buy the vaccine at pharmacies upon prescription from the family doctor and carry out the vaccination at doctors’ offices. According to the WHO, influenza vaccination should have a minimum coverage target of 75% and 95% as the optimal target in over 65s and groups at risk.
Even the “authorized” pharmacies in Lazio
In Lazio (where we start on 15 October) a further possibility is foreseen. “We provide 100,000 doses of the flu shot. It is the highest number in Italy ”, explains the regional councilor for health Alessio D’Amato. In addition, “pharmacies can sell it or, where there are technical requirements linked to suitable premises, equipment and personnel, they can also administer it to citizens. This is the news. The number they indicated to us is about 400 pharmacies in the area able to carry out the activity having also carried out specific courses ». Meanwhile, the ordinance with which on 17 April the President of the Region imposed the obligation of seasonal flu vaccination for all people over 65 years of age (under penalty of prohibition from attending places of easy gathering such as social centers and retirement homes) as well as for all health and social health personnel operating in the region (under penalty of being prohibited from having access to their respective workplaces). This is what was decided by the Lazio TAR with a ruling in which it accepted an appeal proposed by the National and Lazio Codes Association. In essence, the judges explain that the emergency legislation does not allow regional interventions.
Supply figures
Although the regions have provided with public tenders an increase of almost double compared to last year, reaching over 17 million doses, the supply reflects many problems. There is a more concrete risk than ever that the quotas guaranteed to pharmacies will be scarce compared to the demand, to the point that the initial figure of 250,000 doses established in the State-Region conference could be remodeled. Emilia Romagna has moved forward passing from 1.5 to 3% (ie from 18 thousand to 36 thousand doses) as far as they want to go to pharmacies. Not only that, for the administration to people who do not belong to the categories for which the free active offer is provided, the ASL will be able to proceed for a fee but only after the vaccination of the categories at risk has been guaranteed. The major concern of the federations now is the delivery time.
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