Meningitis, Pisetta (Fimp Veneto): “Recovering vaccinations, pediatricians on the front line”

Covid has affected the administration of mandatory and recommended vaccinations. In addition to the closure of the vaccination centers, especially in the first months of the lockdown, the concern of parents that their children could contract the virus during appointments and to be able to maintain physical distancing while waiting was playing an important role against vaccinations. “Delays have been recorded especially for vaccinations over 6 years, anti-papilloma virus and anti meningitis”, explains Franco Pisetta, regional secretary of Fimp Veneto. Regarding this last vaccination, according to the latest data from the Higher Institute of Health, 189 cases of invasive meningococcal disease were reported in 2019; in 2018 and 2017, 170 and 197 were reported respectively with an average of 0.31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence was higher in infants less than 1 year old (2.97) and in children 1-4 years old (0.88). Worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization, there are about 500,000 cases of meningococcal meningitis every year, of which about 50,000 are fatal. In addition, 5-10% of people who contract the infection die despite the disease being diagnosed in time and receiving appropriate treatment. And in any case, even with adequate treatment, about 1 out of 10 patients is destined not to overcome it. while 10-20% of survivors can suffer from amputations, brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities. “For this reason it is essential not to let your guard down – adds the expert -. Because by reducing vaccination coverage, unprotected subjects increase and therefore the chances of spreading infections. We have witnessed a slowdown in the doses envisaged by the National Vaccine Prevention Plan and the risk is that there may be critical issues for extremely serious diseases, such as meningitis. It is therefore necessary to recover and increase the execution of all vaccinations of the vaccination calendar, taking advantage of all available resources, including free choice pediatricians, who can vaccinate their patients in their studies, among other things with extremely flexible schedules to facilitate access. ”But what is the population’s attitude towards vaccinations that are not compulsory but still recommended today, after the pandemic? “They don’t seem to change their usual attitude of availability – explains Pisetta -. Sometimes a paradoxical attitude occurs. Parents who have their children all vaccinated, and themselves vaccinated for Coronavirus, fear vaccinating their teenage children for Coronavirus. Obviously, misinformation and bad information on the Covid vaccine is breaking through and we need to engage in widespread scientifically supported information and we, as pediatricians are already doing it. ” out of calendar. “However, membership could be increased if free choice pediatricians were also provided with anti-meningitis vaccines that can be used by all patients who can be vaccinated and are not yet”, concludes the expert.