“The vaccination against herpes zoster has a fundamental role, it reduces the epidemiological burden of the disease, induces significant clinical benefits for the patient and at the same time represents a saving for the National Service. Today, having an inactivated vaccine adjuvanted with a substance that amplifies the immune responses is certainly a winner. We must guarantee the best possible vaccination option to all elderly and frail patients. Today we have a very handy vaccine, recommended and free for people aged 65 years of age. I hope that with the next National Prevention Plan vaccination (Pnpv) this gratuity is extended to all over 65 “. Thus Roberto Ieraci, Vaccination Strategies Group of the Lazio Region, on the sidelines of the presentation of the spot of the social communication campaign of Italia Longeva #MiVaccinoNonMiAccendo, presented today at the Ministry of Health, during the conference “Strategies and tools to increase vaccination prevention against Shingles”.
For Ieraci, the anti herpes zoster vaccination offer “cannot be an obstacle course. For this reason it is necessary to activate a hospital path because it is very important that the anti herpes zoster vaccine is recommended by the specialist who is treating the patient: geriatrician, oncologist, onco-haematologist, rheumatologist, infectious specialist. In this respect, the Lazio Region was the first in Italy to provide an institutional framework for the hospital vaccination center which certainly helps a lot to reach elderly and frail patients “.
Hospital and local medicine “together they can reach levels of coverage that today are infinitesimal in the face of a common, disabling disease that creates many problems in the relationship life of patients with serious consequences on their quality of life”, he concludes.