“The 2023 National Vaccination Prevention Plan provides for an annual update of the vaccination offers. At the moment the debate is quite fervent due to the scientific news that exist, both at the regional and national level. In particular, we are considering adding, to the vaccines currently offered, also the one against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), responsible for a respiratory infection that has a fairly significant impact on the health of the elderly and frail. Furthermore, these serious respiratory forms of RSV tend to affect very young children, so we are also moving towards the immune protection of the youngest”. Carlo Signorelli, full professor of Hygiene at the Vita Salute San Raffaele University and president of Nitag (National Immunization Technical Advisory Group), told Adnkronos Salute, speaking today in Rome at the session dedicated to vaccination prevention at the General States of Long-Term Care ‘Long-Term Care Nine: towards a new season for elderly care?’, which Italia Longeva organizes every year at the Ministry of Health.
“At this time – Signorelli recalls – the vaccination calendar includes in all Italian regions the seasonal flu vaccination”, the “against pneumococcus and against zoster, in addition to the annual booster for Covid-19. These vaccinations are recommended for the elderly and are also recommended for the so-called fragile, that is, people with chronic diseases, who may be over 65 years old, but also younger, who are a category at particular risk of contracting those diseases and suffering the worst damage”.
Some Regions “have moved forward by already planning to include” the new immunizations “in their vaccination calendars, because we know that the Regions can add services, and therefore also vaccinations, on their own initiative if the vaccines, as in this case, are regularly registered – specifies the expert – The hope for the future is, first of all, that there can be equity in supply and that there are not 21 calendars with significant differences between regions”. Furthermore, “since the plan provides for annual updating, we hope – concludes Signorelli – for greater flexibility to be able to update the plans in relation to scientific evidence”.
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