2023-09-14 13:05:02
The Piedmont Region guarantees a wide vaccination offer for adults, but the virtuous paths are uneven across the territory. Currently, for the anti-Herpes zoster vaccine, vaccination coverage is stuck at 4%, against an established national target of 50%, and that for the anti-pneumococcal vaccine is stuck at 18%, against an established national target of 75%. These are the data on which politics, healthcare decision-makers and those who protect the rights of patients and support the most vulnerable discussed today in Turin during an event on the application – at a regional level, in particular in Piedmont – of the ‘Vaccination path for chronically ill patients’, as foreseen by the National Vaccination Prevention Plan. A meeting organized by Motore Sanità with the unconditional contribution of GSK and Pfizer, and the patronage of Azienda Zero, ASL Città di Torino, Cittadinanzattiva Piemonte, Pastoral Office of Health of the Archdiocese of Turin and ASL of Vercelli.
The ASL City of Turin – informs a note – from September 2022, at the vaccination hub of the San Giovanni Bosco hospital, for the target population (65-70 years) and frail people has activated direct access for the anti- Herpes zoster and anti-pneumococcus, also offering them to citizens summoned for anti-Covid. In spring 2023 the invitation was made via letter with a reminder via SMS. The participation rate was 18-20%, but is improving with the expansion of the offer at the Lingotto Hub.
“An emerging problem is dictated by the impossibility of having common databases with which to implement summonses for pathologies – explains Carlo Picco, commissioner of Azienda Zero and general director of the City of Turin ASL – The results obtained up to 30 June 2023 are 40,281 doses of anti-Herpes zoster and 38,531 anti-pneumococcal. The even more significant figure is that 14,720 anti-Herpes and 13,910 anti-pneumococcal cycles were completed. Certainly, to reach the targets of the new vaccine plan, a rethink of both the communication network and of that of supply, arriving at proximity choices”.
In ASL Cuneo 2 – the note explains – an organization model was tested for chronic patients both at home and in facilities (RSA/RAF), identifying three different types of vaccinator: the medical director of the facility; the general practitioner and the health district doctor. “Our model – observes Annamaria Gianti, manager of the Bra Asl Cn2 district – has made it possible to achieve, in the Rsa and Raf structures”, healthcare residences and flexible care residences, “coverage of 99% for Covid, 72% for Herpes zoster, 96% for influenza and 76% for pneumococcus. Diabetic patients are referred to the Public Health and Hygiene Services (Sisp) or to the ASL chronic clinics activated in the last year; in the case of diabetic and fragile patients , we fall back into home vaccination”.
“With the Sisp – underlines Fulvia Milano, health director of the Vercelli Local Health Authority – we have tried to overcome the various critical issues by creating synergies between the different professional figures, involving, through meetings, general practitioners and proposing the vaccination offer at the same time as treatment of chronic pathologies. These actions were accompanied by those relating to the implementation of the ASL management systems and promoting closer collaboration between the hospital and the territory with the ‘Hospital that vaccinates’ project. In this regard, Giovanni La Valle, general director Aou City of Health and Science of Turin invites us to create “a true collaboration, partnership between the territory and the hospital, as we saw during Covid”.
At a political level, “the objective of vaccination programs is twofold – declares Daniele Valle, vice-president of the Piedmont Regional Council and member of the IV Regional Health Commission – First of all, as regards the individual, personal protection: in cases of fragility and chronicity becomes even more important. Secondly, as far as the community is concerned, the campaigns produce a state of protection for unvaccinated subjects who are still exposed to the risk of contracting certain pathologies. For this reason, mass awareness campaigns are necessary on which we still have to invest.”
The general data “is particularly worrying – remarks Mara Scagni, regional secretary of Cittadinanzattiva Piemonte – because we are much lower than other regions. All local health authorities must update the routes for the chronically ill by including information and vaccination assistance, and that an important vaccination campaign supported by the local health authorities should begin. Furthermore, we strongly ask that the new plan be taken into account and that greater information and implementation be given”.
“We believe that the choice of public healthcare should not be opposed to private healthcare, but should ask privately managed services to participate in the service network – states Don Paolo Fini, director of the Pastoral Health Office of the Diocese of Turin – The concept of the healthcare network services puts the different organizations in a line of collaboration. Finally, it seems important to us to pay attention to the staff, to the quality of the service environments; the exodus of doctors and nurses is worrying, but in our opinion it has many causes that cannot be resolved only with an improvement, albeit useful, from a salary point of view”.
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