TERNI The combination of Covid and influenza, according to scientists, represents the nightmare of simultaneous contagion, nothing taken for granted, however, it represents a possibility. Hence the importance of the flu vaccination whose campaign should begin in October, with the USL2 Umbria which has already put in place the necessary tools to avoid being unprepared for the autumn wave of infections, continuing, at the same time, the monitoring of any Covid outbreaks. In addition to the pandemic, Dr. Massimo De Fino, USL extraordinary commissioner, is also grappling with the next particularly important flu campaign. How many vaccine doses have you planned for the 2020-2021 flu campaign?
«In the last call for tenders for vaccines, it was possible to increase the demand for the number of doses by 50% compared to last year’s consumption, which was equal to 175,000 doses. Therefore there is a certain tranquility in ensuring the necessary doses for everyone ». Why is it so important to get vaccinated? “Influenza vaccination is essential for the elderly over 65 and those at risk because their immune systems are often deficient and the flu can lead to serious life-threatening heart and lung complications.”
His territorial vision also concerns the Santa Maria hospital, the nerve center of health. “Of course. It is necessary, especially in this phase, to reduce access to the emergency room, therefore simplifying the diagnosis of influenza is very important, for this reason we continue to hire staff, especially nurses “. A correct diagnosis can certainly help, in what way? “A correct diagnosis of the sick patient will allow us to understand if it is flu or Covid. For this reason, vaccination is strongly recommended this year, even for subjects at an early age because the Covid symptomatology, in the first phase, is similar to the flu one and also the most frequent complication, represented by pneumonia, together with the feverish state and the asthenia and / or myasthenia, which can hardly be differentiated between the two pathologies. The subject already vaccinated with flu with symptoms can be more easily identified as a suspected Covid. The vaccine will also be recommended for pregnant women ».
How has the USL equipped itself for this flu campaign? “The region has signed specific agreements with general practitioners and paediatricians of free choice that provide for the administration of vaccination, provided by the health authority, to its patients. We as a company have already prepared the ground for this fruitful collaboration through the committees. For this year, I want to underline it, pediatricians have also got involved. We aim to get as close as possible to the vaccination percentage provided by the Ministry of Health which is 80%, starting from over 60% of the past years of Uls 2, which, among other things, is already a statistical figure. among the highest in Italy “.
Particular attention, therefore, to the anti-flu campaign, keeping the prevention and treatment of Covid under control. What are you currently doing? «A lot of prevention, surveillance and treatment, for example the almost total participation in the serological screening of school staff, the highest in Italy. The age group to be vaccinated for the elderly is that from 65 years upwards, in addition to subjects at risk and children from 0 to 6 years, also subjects at risk in the group up to 16 years (with double dose recommended for ages up to 9 years). The Company’s task will also be to stimulate health workers themselves to get vaccinated. This year the vaccine will be strongly recommended to all operators, with priority given to doctors and those who work in the emergency-urgency network, in intensive and surgical activities, in home and district offices ».
One last question, Commissioner. Will the flu campaign start early this year? «Certainly, as soon as we have the first doses, we will start communicating with the mass media and users in order to sensitize them to vaccination. I hope that we can leave already in the first weeks of October, so that we can better understand if the patient with the flu has contracted the seasonal illness or, instead, it is a Covid case “.
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