Aifa says yes to the third dose of the vaccine. We will start with “the most fragile, those who after two doses do not have a sufficient response” underlined the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza announcing that “in the next few hours there will be a circular from the head of the Prevention Department of the Ministry of Health, Gianni Rezza, who will indicate exactly what these categories are. “
Aifa
The Technical Scientific Commission (Cts) of Aifa “expressed its opinion on the administration of additional doses of vaccine against Covid-19” and considered “it appropriate, pending Ema’s authorization, to make Comirnaty vaccines available (Pfizer ) and Spikevax (Moderna). This was underlined by a note from the Italian Medicines Agency. the completion of the cycles currently authorized to reduce the circulation of the virus and the development of variants and effectively prevent the onset of serious pathology and deaths “.
The CTS has established that the ‘additional dose’ of Covid vaccine will be administered “at least 28 days after the last administration, to complete the vaccination cycle in adults and adolescents over 12 years of age (Comirnaty vaccine) or over 18 years ( Spikevax vaccine) in conditions of clinically relevant immunosuppression. Solid organ transplant recipients and subjects presenting, on the basis of clinical evaluation, an assimilable level of immunocompromise fall into this category “.
While as a ‘booster’ dose “in order to maintain an effective immune response to the vaccine after the completion of the vaccination cycle” it will be administered “after at least 6 months from the last administration, in the elderly (over 80 years) and in patients hospitalized in RSA. – continues the note – This option can also be made available to healthcare professionals, depending on the level of exposure to the infection, the individual risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19 and in accordance with the general strategy of the vaccination campaign “.
“As an additional dose, one of the two m-Rna vaccines authorized in Italy (Comirnaty * and Spikevax *) should be administered. If a first vaccination with adenoviral vaccine has been performed or if the same m-RNA vaccine is not available RNA used for the first two doses, an additional ‘heterologous’ dose may be used with the different type of m-Rna vaccine. Based on current knowledge the recommended dosage for the booster dose is the same as the authorized dosage for the primary school “, is also known. “The additional dose – it is highlighted – should be administered at least six months after the last dose”.
Hope
“Aifa just today closed its CTS work” and “gave the green light to the third dose. We will start with the most fragile, those who after two doses do not have a sufficient response”. “In the next few hours there will be a circular from the head of the Prevention Department of the Ministry of Health, Gianni Rezza, which will indicate exactly what these categories are”, announced the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, interviewed by the director of La Stampa Massimo Giannini, at Festival ‘Back to the future. The lesson of Covid and the future that awaits us’, an event promoted by ‘Salute’, the thematic hub of the Gedi Group, underway at Villa Medici in Rome.
Mom
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also given the “green light”, leaving the final choice to individual governments. EU states can start with the third dose of the covid vaccine even before EMA, the European drug agency, expresses itself. “The Member States of the European Union, through their national technical advisory groups on immunization (Nitag), can however proceed in planning campaigns for the administration of additional doses or ‘booster’ doses” of anti-Covid vaccine, “as a proactive measure. of public health, even before a regulatory decision is taken. This type of choices are fully understood by the agency in the emergency context we are in “, explained Marco Cavaleri, head of Vaccines and Therapeutic Products for Covid-19 of the European Agency of the drug Ema, during a press briefing.