In these days in the Lazio Region and in the Asl of Frosinone, the Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Campaign has started, once again of priority importance also in the management of the COVID19 emergency.
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, therefore, it will be even more important to get vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus, the germ responsible for bacterial pneumonia.
According to the regional allocation, about 130,000 doses of vaccine are available for our Company, with a huge organizational commitment, which began as early as August and aimed at reaching all categories at risk in a widespread manner: to date, the Pharmaceutical Service has completed, through the Company Transport Service, the distribution of the first tranche of vaccines to GMMs and Company Services, in line with the indications of regional legislation.
In the Lazio Region, influenza vaccination is strongly recommended and offered free of charge 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 6 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
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, will be fundamental and a priority.
Vaccination for adults can be carried out:
- at the MMG studios
- at the ASL Vaccination Centres
Children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years, and all children with pathology of any age, who are the most at risk, can be vaccinated by age group:
- children from 6 months to 2 years and children with pathology of any age, at the reference Vaccination Centres,
- children from 2 to 6 years old, at their PLS, if participating in the Vaccine Campaign, or at the Reference Vaccine Services, as of 12.10.2022
It will also be possible to administer the flu vaccine and the Covid-19 vaccine simultaneously, in the same session, from your GP or at the Vaccine Hubs.
All this thanks to the collaboration of all the forces put in place by the USL Company, at every level, and the essential activity of the GMMs, Vaccine Services, PLSs and the Directions of the Socio-Health and Socio-Assistance Structures of our territory
The words of Dr. Maria Gabriella Calenda, Head of Vaccine Activities Coordination:
“There are three main objectives of this vaccination: to protect ourselves, to protect those around us and to protect the system, as we have learned well with the COVID emergency.
Getting vaccinated against the flu has never been more important than thisyear precisely because population groups that have not come into contact with the virus in the last two years have been selected.
And the flu vaccine 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 six months to 6 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 more protection. For this reason, in people over 65 we use the ‘adjuvanted‘ or ’high-dose‘ vaccine, which allows a more effective response to be obtained from the weaker immune systems; from 6 to 64 years the classic vaccine, always effective; for children from 2 to 6 years, 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!”.
