Also thisyear in the Lazio Region and in the Asl of Frosinone, the Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Campaign began, once again of priority importance also in the management of the reactivation of SARS-COVID19.
Flu vaccination is essential to prevent a seemingly trivial disease, which can, on the other hand, be responsible for very serious complications for which there are serious and fatal cases every year.
Once again thisyear, the influenza virus will circulate at the same time as the Coronavirus and other forms of parainfluenza infection and, therefore, it will be even more important to get vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus, the germ responsible for bacterial pneumonia to which the influenza virus opens its doors.
In the Lazio Region and in our ASL, influenza vaccination is strongly recommended and offered free of charge, as a priority, for:
- All subjects over the age of 60
- All workers and health and care personnel, including volunteers, of the Health, Socio-Health and Socio-Assistance Facilities of all existing types
- All children aged 6 months to 7 years
- Pregnant women and in the “postpartum” period
- All subjects from 6 to 60 years of age at risk for pathology or for particular living and working conditions
- All cohabitants of patients at high risk of complications due to influenza
Vaccination of vulnerable individuals and guests of the Socio-Health and Socio-Healthcare Facilities of our Province, who will be vaccinated on site, together with the care staff, is a fundamental and priority.
Vaccination for adults can be carried out:
- at the MMG studios
- at the ASL Vaccine Centers (locations, times and methods of access as per Table no. 1 attached)
Children aged between 6 months and 7 years, and all children with pathology of any age, who are the most at risk, can be vaccinated at their PLS, if participating in the Vaccine Campaign, or at the Reference Vaccine Services.
The administration of the Covid-19 vaccine, which is currently planned, according to Ministerial and Regional indications, for Healthcare Workers, Guests and Personnel of Healthcare, Socio-Healthcare and Socio-Assistance Facilities and for the other target categories (over-60 and frail of any age), is possible from their GP, if participating in the Covid-19 Campaign,or at the Vaccine Services, exclusively from the Frosinone and Cassino offices with reservation through the regional platform at the link: https://prenotavaccino-covid.regione.lazio.it/main/home or also in direct access (locations and times Table no. 2 attached)
At the GMMs and in the two Vaccine Locations indicated in Frosinone and Cassino, it is also possible to administer the flu vaccine and the Covid-19 vaccine simultaneously, in the same session.
For requests for home vaccinations against Covid-19 for non-transportable patients, you can contact your GP or the number 800118800, who will forward the requests to the competent local health authorities.
For any further information, please refer to the page of the company website relating to the Vaccine Activities Coordination Unit at the link https://www.asl.fr.it/strutture/dipartimenti/dipartimento-di-prevenzione/uos-coordinamento-attivita-vaccinale/.
The words of Dr. Maria Gabriella Calenda, Head of the UOC Coordination of Vaccine Activities ASL Frosinone:
“There are three main objectives of flu vaccination: to protect ourselves, to protect those around us and to protect the system, as we have learned well with the COVID emergency.
Vaccinating against the flu has never been more important than in recent years precisely because, due to the pandemic, population groups have been selected that have not come into contact with the virus in recent years.
And the flu vaccination is not a ‘mass’ vaccination, but ‘selective’, that is, aimed at specific categories at risk, such as the elderly (for a few years now free vaccination has been extended from 60 years old), children from 6 months to 7 years old and people with chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer patients or with chronic lung diseases, kidney failure, diabetes).
Finally, in the case of influenza, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all‘ vaccine, which is good for everyone. The immune system ages like the whole body; therefore, a traditional vaccine could be a little less effective in those age groups that need the most protection. For this reason, in people over 65 years of age we use the ‘adjuvanted’ or ‘high-dose’ vaccine, which allows a more effective response from the weaker immune systems; from 7 to 64 years of age the classic vaccine, always effective; for children from 2 to 7 years of age, the nasal spray vaccine, more manageable and accepted by children and parents… with the seasonal flu we can certainly say: everyone has their own vaccine!
And for Covid-19, we now have the new vaccine with the variant that is strongly recommended for the same categories of flu and can be co-administered in the same session”.
