“There is an entire segment of the adult population not vaccinated against measles. It is more than normal, therefore, for cases to occur periodically”. If we really want to have an impact on this, “sporadic actions are not enough, nor the good will of the individual family doctor who correctly advises his patients”. Instead, what is needed is an “official campaign that tells general practitioners and citizens of this country how they must behave to achieve the goals of measles eradication. Not only in the young vaccinated generations, but in the older generations who are not vaccinated and who are exposed to the infection”. So to Adnkronos Salute Claudio Cricelli, president emeritus of the Italian Society of General Medicine and Primary Care (Simg), regarding the growth of infections in our country.
“It seems to me that the alarm is out of place – continues Cricelli – because we cannot be surprised: this is a disease that we cannot eradicate if we do not vaccinate the unvaccinated, especially the elderly or over 40s. That is, those of the generation before the widespread vaccine. If we want to achieve the objective we must have a precise framework, targeted targets and focus on a public health campaign, the collection of serological data and the planning of mass vaccination for the unvaccinated. Investments and precise health policies are needed.”
“Compared to risk of infection – analyzes the doctor – we have three groups: all the young people and children born since the vaccine was introduced, the unvaccinated who have not had measles and are therefore not immune and, finally, there are the unvaccinated who have had measles, so it is assumed that they have persistent immunity. Neither compulsory nor optional vaccination has ever been provided for unvaccinated adults, and the fact that there are cases is therefore more than natural. They will always be there until the entire population is fully vaccinated. This is the reality today.”
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