“Vaccination must also culturally become a node that is part of the patient’s treatment process. Our association has always been very attentive to these issues.” He carried out a “2021 survey on anti-Covid vaccination” and, recently, one “on anti-Herpes Zoster”. The investigation presented today has “conflicting data”. For example, “only 26% of cancer patients know about Zoster. In our survey the percentage was 57%. Perhaps, at this moment, there is a decline in attention, but it is a fact to reflect on. The other thing that alarmed me a little was that the doctor did not recommend it to 68% of patients. In all the other surveys we had done previously, however, the oncologist’s advice was central.” Thus Davide Petruzzelli, vice-president of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology Foundation (Aiom) and president of La Lampada di Aladino Ets, comments on the results of the survey on ‘Vaccinations in cancer patients’ by the Aiom Foundation, presented this morning in an online meeting with journalists organized with the unconditional support of GSK.
“This 68% in which the doctor did not recommend the vaccine is a little dismaying – observes Petruzzelli – but perhaps there is a large portion of general practitioners and, not always, primary care is proactive on these topics”, he tends to send “to the oncologist”, who however “do not have the time for counseling: half of the work consists of bureaucratic and administrative acts and he is no longer able to be a doctor”.
“It is clear that patients, precisely because of the relationship of trust they have with the oncologist – underlines Petruzzelli – would like and prefer to be vaccinated even in the hospital where they are treated, even better in the medical oncology department”. A “call to action” would be needed, passing through the associations which, according to the Aiom survey, inform “only 7% of patients” on this issue. We could talk about the “value of vaccination” also using the web, given that “almost 20% get their information on online sites”. In this regard, during the event it was remembered that the Aiom Foundation has created a dedicated web portal (vaccininelpazienteoncologico.it) specifically to provide certified sources. Added to this initiative are webinars aimed at patients and caregivers and many activities on social media.
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