# PerchèSì contest closes, focus on ‘forgotten vaccinations’

The third edition of the contest and hackathon # PerchèSì, the co-creation project conceived and promoted by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of Sanofi, in collaboration with the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SiTi), has ended, and made this year with the support of Scuola Holden. This year # PerchèSì wanted to turn the spotlight on forgotten vaccinations with the slogan “A nice knot in the handkerchief”, and saw the participation of 40 multidisciplinary teams, made up of over 200 future communicators, designers, managers and health professionals and representatives from 22 Schools of Hygiene from all over Italy, called to carry out communication campaigns on the subject. The 2021 edition therefore investigated the importance of respecting vaccination deadlines for adolescents and adults in a context distorted by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The pandemic – underlines Antonio Ferro, president of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (Siti) – has certainly slowed down the scheduling of visits, checks, screening and vaccines. The problem has affected not only adolescents and the elderly but also many healthy adults and the category, albeit limited in travel during the months of lockdown, of travelers. We are sure that infectious diseases can still represent a danger to the community. For this reason – he added – we are proud to have collaborated in important initiatives like this third edition of # PerchèSì which has involved many of our trainees in the development of scientifically valid and effective campaigns that can reach a wider population or specific targets, and help us fight vaccination “. The winning team comes from the Genoa School of Hygiene and has developed the “Immuno Defense” campaign, a live educational laboratory designed for the classes and feasible during the Scientific Festivals that take place all over Italy. The jury considered it appropriate to assign a special mention of the “I travel with the vaccine” project, proposed by the School of Hygiene of Turin. captivating and evocative. “Prevention – says Mario Merlo, General Manager of Sanofi Pasteur Italy – is built from awareness and a clear and effective scientific narrative. All this passes through teamwork which is the virtuous synthesis of multiple approaches that can enhance the element of multidisciplinarity. We are proud – he continues – to have continued with enthusiasm and courage with these new edition of our project and to have found a lot of interest and participation. The success of this third edition proves our commitment to actively involve an ever wider community, aware and attentive to prevention, including through vaccination “.