Influence in the summer at the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna well ahead of expectations. Without masks and with a more susceptible population, many infections are expected. The vaccination campaign is underway
In a few days the new vaccination plan will be ready in view of the winter given that the first cases of flu have already been registered at the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna well ahead of expectations and a high-intensity season is expected.
The first cases in Bologna
This was also confirmed by Gianni Rezza, director general of Prevention at the Ministry of Health, who declared at a conference: “This year we have all the conditions for high numbers because we will be without protections such as masks and distancing, but with a population that is widely susceptible because the flu virus circulated little in the previous two years. So it is important to get vaccinated ». The experts of the Bologna Influenza Observatory warn: «It had never happened that the flu arrived in our country so early, when the summer is still in progress. It is the type A virus, H3N2 strain, better known as the Australian flu ». “For now, these are isolated cases – said Fabrizio Pregliasco, scientific director of the influenza Observatory – but these first cases must be a wake-up call, especially for those at risk, who are recommended to be vaccinated starting from October with the updated flu vaccine », warns the specialist.
Forecasts and vaccination campaign
In Australia the flu virus arrives earlier and this year it has affected a greater percentage of the population than usual and often in a serious way. By sheer count of confirmed cases, this season has been one of the worst in the country for several years.
The Observatory recalls that the flu directly causes in our country every year (of those preceding Covid) about “8 thousand deaths a year”. In the coming days, the new vaccination plan for the autumn will propose the flu and will take stock of the fourth anti Covid doses. The bivalent vaccine that protects from the original form of Sars-CoV-2 and from the Omicron variant has just been approved by the European Agency and the Italian Medicines Agency and the start of the administration is imminent, which for now is recommended for people with more 60 years old and immunosuppressed subjects. It may not be easy to make people understand the importance of the flu vaccine, especially after years in which only Covid has been looked after and not everyone could face double immunization willingly.
September 13, 2022 (change September 13, 2022 | 19:27)
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