Herpes Zoster, Sardinia and Liguria ready with the new vaccine

In the two regions, the number of recipients of the vaccine against the so-called “Shingles” is expanding, which also includes immunosuppressed patients: a therapeutic advantage for two regions with a high rate of over 65s. a goal facilitated by the introduction in Italy of a new vaccine, which allows people aged 50 and over to significantly reduce the incidence of the disease. Although the disease does not have lethal outcomes, it can have consequences that affect the quality of life, especially when it comes to post-herpetic neuralgia. An eventuality that becomes even heavier in elderly patients: and it is also for this reason that two regions such as Sardinia and Liguria, whose elderly population is statistically significant, have recently introduced this new prevention tool. In fact, if the national average of Italians between 65 and 84 years old, according to Istat data of January 2021, is in fact 16%, in Sardinia it concerns 21.2% of the population, while for Liguria it reaches 23. Also for these demographic reasons, the two regions have approved the acquisition of the new adjuvanted recombinant vaccine, which expands the prevention tools against the so-called “Shingles”. “For Sardinia this is not a totally new vaccine, given that we participated in the multicentre experimentation, which involved several countries – says Gabriele Mereu, head of the Ats Sud Sardegna vaccine prophylaxis service -. Compared to the one already on the market and in use, we can take a step further and expand the audience, since it can be used from 18 years and even in people who are immunosuppressed due to pathologies or for the use of immunosuppressive therapies ” The Sardinia Region at the end of September issued a decision to purchase a first batch of the new adjuvanted recombinant vaccine, which will be administered free of charge for frail patients suffering from diabetes, heart disease, bronchopneumopathy, or immunosuppressive therapy, in order to extend prophylaxis. to the population excluded so far, given that the live attenuated vaccine in use for some years is not usable in these cases. “Immunosuppressed in Sardinia are tens of thousands and the administration will take place in the centers where they are already followed, therefore hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, in support of the network of general practitioners – underlines Mereu -. In the region, we adopted a network logic even before the pandemic, but the emergency has confirmed that family doctors and specialists are essential to address the patient and to administer the vaccine. Integrated management between hospitals and the local area gives better organizational and clinical results. “If the 2017-2019 National Vaccine Prevention Plan provided for a 50% target for the target population aged 65, in recent years such a percentage has never been reached “and in Sardinia we start from very low data. On the other hand, in the Covid emergency, attention is focused above all on preventing more dangerous diseases than herpes zoster – remarks Mereu -. For vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus, work must also be done to achieve the objectives set by the Ministry. All the more reason I believe that general practitioners must be involved throughout Italy to change course “. In the coming months, therefore, Sardinian citizens will be able to benefit from two prevention tools against shingles. “We will evaluate whether to continue with both vaccines or whether to opt for the more innovative one – concludes Mereu -. At the moment we will have both, but in the next tenders it will be a priority to guarantee coverage of an immunosuppressed population that has so far been excluded. “The new protection tool was also recently chosen by the Liguria Region, which has a target population of 20,000 born in 1956 subjects. “In 2021, a thousand people aged 65 received the live attenuated vaccine: now that we have a more efficient weapon we can also include immunocompromised patients, starting from 18 years of age – underlines Giancarlo Icardi, director of the Hygiene department. of the San Martino Hospital and Ligurian referent for the Higher Institute of Health -. We are now in the initial phase for which the Liguria Region has chosen to include the vaccine against herpes zoster along with those against the flu and pneumococcus, a so-called ‘trio of health’. In order to have better coverage, an agreement was signed with general practitioners, who can vaccinate, inform and direct their patients. ”Even in Liguria, the 50% coverage target for 65-year-olds is an ambitious goal. “All of Italy is far from this result, but it must be taken into account that even before the inclusion of this parameter in the 2017-2019 National Prevention Plan some regions, such as Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Liguria, had included vaccination against herpes zoster “, continues Icardi who adds:” The target court of the over 65s was already around 25%, an insufficient figure but which indicates the start of an information plan for the population “. Citizens often perceive the disease as not very relevant , however, the consequences are not always curable. “From a coordinated multicentre study in Genoa it emerges that 5-6% of patients affected by herpes zoster after one year still have intense pain even when touched. In our experience, family members of those who have had shingles are the best testimonials of vaccination. In fact – he concludes – they are the first to ask for it, after seeing how painful it can be “.