Rome, 21 March 2021 – How is the campaign for anti-Covid vaccinations in Italy? Rather slowly (here the dashboard in real time): despite the best of intentions, even this week the administration threshold it will not be able to go beyond 200 thousand a day (what happens if the vaccine is refused? Here the card). The thing is, there aren’t enough vials to run more. Merciless comparisons with other countries: the Lazio, one of the most virtuous Italian regions, performed 800 thousand vaccinations, that is, approximately how many made by the Great Britain in one day. In the Usa a total of 124 million doses have already been distributed e Israel has vaccinated almost half of the population and is emerging from the emergency: today only 4 dead (here the data of the Coronavirus in the world).
Optimistic hope: “Significant improvement for the summer”
The efforts – the constant increase of facilities for inoculations, the new arrivals of doctors ready for injections and soon also the involvement of pharmacies – are still not enough. So, looking forward to the serum Johnson & Johnson and to achieve the goal of 500 thousand vaccinations a day of the Son plan, the ascent is attempted with the arrival of over 333 thousand doses of Moderna and the new stocks of Pfizer expected, while others will arrive next Wednesday 279mila da AstraZeneca.
As for the SputnikAccording to the European Commissioner in charge of the vaccination campaign, Thierry Breton, the European Union “will absolutely not need the Russian Sputnik vaccine. Priority must be given to vaccines produced on European territory”.
Covid, the bulletin of today 21 March
4 million doses are missing
However, the numbers of loads reached so far are still too low compared to the updated figures at the beginning of March: according to the lists of the first quarter forecasts, at least 4 million doses would be missing, even though more 2 million by April 3rd (up to this date, 15,694,998 million would have had to arrive in total). All this despite the inoculation capacity in the country – also thanks to the acceleration of the Covid Emergency Commissioner, Francesco Figliuolo (who yesterday vaccinated himself, together with Curcio, with Astrazeneca) – is already about double the amount of serum available.
The governors make themselves heard: “With an email to the Liguria Region, about 60 thousand doses of AstraZeneca have been cut, that is 60% of the deliveries in April, blowing up all the programming”, complains the Ligurian Giovanni Toti.
Ema: three other vaccines on the agenda
Rather optimistic Marco Cavaleri, responsible for Ema vaccines, who at ‘Che tempo che fa’ explains: “In the coming months we will see a massive increase in production. After Johnson & Johnson, the last one we authorized, we have three vaccines that we are looking at – announces Cavaleri – one is to Curevac, for which a large clinical study is underway, then that of Novavax for which however there is some problem with the production and the third vaccine is that Sputnik which has started the cycle review with which we will also carry out inspections in Russia in April, both as regards the production and the clinical study, and we will try to understand by when we will have all the data that will be necessary to eventually approve this vaccine as well “.
Vaccino Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson: the comparison
The new forces in the field
Meanwhile, the recruitment of personnel continues. The Ministry of Health is ready to bring new forces into the field, with 164.800 medici (42,000 are family members, 38,000 postgraduates, 7,000 pediatricians, 14,800 outpatient specialists, 63,000 dentists), up to 270 thousand nurses and 19 thousand pharmacies involved. But on the latter case, the National Federation of Medical Orders places its stakes: “The doctor must be present in every vaccination center, including pharmacies and parapharmacies” to collect informed consent and guarantee intervention in the event of need.
Focus / What we know about reserve lists
Regions in no particular order
The inoculations travel in each case in alternating phases, with scattered numbers also regarding the immunized categories: the Tuscany for example – denounces Stefano Mugnai, vice president of the Forza Italia Group in the Chamber – is behind (27%) on over 80s while others have achieved coverage of 40-50% of the elderly.
Andrea Scanzi vaccinated: “I was on the reserve list”. But it is storm
There is also one planned for this national support platform for the Regions for bookings, connecting the various territories and which can homogenize the campaign throughout the country.
“It is not possible to have 21 regional health systems that go in no particular order and that a platform dedicated to vaccination did not work, considering that there are months of work behind “, thunders the Deputy Minister of Health Pierpaolo Sileri, especially after the case in Lombardy for the malfunction of the Aria computer system and the sms not received for the calls to the Cremona hub. Sileri, however, remains convinced that “by the end of the summer, I believe that the campaign will be completed for those who wish to get vaccinated as long as variants that elude existing vaccines do not come out”.
Bianchi: great campaign for the school
“I believe it is important that our teachers feel calm and are able to reassure. I ask that a great vaccination campaign be carried out which must be the sign with which the school participates in the country’s life ball; others must decide what the vaccines to do, we have confidence, but we must return to work in total tranquility “, says the Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi What’s the weather like.
Meanwhile they seem the fears on AstraZeneca, after the green light of the EMA to restart. The same president of the Cts and of the Superior Health Council, Franco Locatelli, reiterates: “it is a safe vaccine from 18 years and up and there is no reason to hesitate, just look at the numbers in Great Britain where ten million have already received it and mortality has been reduced by 90%. The strong message is let’s get vaccinated “.
