2023-09-29 22:54:12
The Regions are moving like a leopard, but the flu has already arrived in Italy. It is also possible to immunize against Covid at the same time
The flu vaccination campaign is starting in two Italian regions these days. Lombardy has chosen a click day
(with reservation required HERE, ed.) to get to vaccinate, on Sunday 1 October, over 60s, children aged 2 to 6 years, pregnant women, healthcare workers, members of the police force, local police, firefighters, teachers and school staff. From 2 October the vaccination will be extended to healthcare workers, hospital patients and RSA guests and from 16 October to all those belonging to the categories for which vaccination is recommended, always with reservation via the Region’s website.
In Lazio the campaign starts on Monday 2 October mainly for the over 60s, frail people and children up to 6 years old. The other Regions will follow suit around mid-October, given that every year each entity independently decides through tenders which vaccines to purchase (among the products authorized by the Italian Medicines Agency, Aifa), how many doses to obtain and to whom (among vaccination centers , pharmacies, general practitioners and paediatricians) will have to administer them.
The influenza vaccine changes formulation every year to be updated to the circulating viral strains and their mutations: currently in Italy quadrivalent formulations are available which contain two type A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and two type B.
The flu, which had already arrived in our country early, was isolated on Wednesday at the University of Parma on a sample taken from a four-month-old infant. It is not easy to predict what the annual trend of infections will be, whether massive or limited: some estimates suggest a smaller impact in 2023-2024 compared to last year and confirmation would also come from Australia (which acts as a litmus test when winter), which recorded a medium-sized flu season (in Italy this would mean around 5 million sick people). However, influenza and the pneumonia associated with it remain classified among the top ten leading causes of death in Italy and above all are dangerous for some categories of people.
For this reason, the vaccination is recommended and offered free of charge: to the over 60s, pregnant women, children between 6 months and 6 years, frail and immunosuppressed subjects, healthcare and social-healthcare personnel and other categories of workers (such as the police force and firefighters of fire). Some Regions, based on availability, also offer the vaccine free of charge to other categories (in Lombardy children up to 13 years of age can get it with the pediatrician of their choice).
Administration involves a single dose (to be repeated annually). Everyone can receive the flu vaccine at the same time as other vaccines, in different body sites and with different syringes. Some Regions, for example, also recommend vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia to the elderly and it will be possible for everyone to receive the updated anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the same time depending on the vaccination calendars of the individual Regions. In particular, it has been confirmed, even in the most recent scientific studies, that the co-administration of the influenza vaccine and the anti-Covid vaccine has not led to a lower immune response or an increase in the rate of adverse events compared to the administration of a single preparation for time.
All recommendations and indications obviously apply in the absence of specific contraindications which the competent doctor evaluates from time to time.
September 29, 2023 (modified September 29, 2023 | 8:57 pm)
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