Covid today Italy, Magrini: “Immunity falls but vaccine protection resists”

“A drop in immunity is expected for every vaccine, including those for Covid-19, after the first 4-6 months. Available data show that protection against serious illness, hospitalization or death persists stably until at least 6 months from the completion of a primary cycle, while compared to light or moderate forms it seems to decrease with the passing of the months “. Thus Nicola Magrini, director of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa), in an interview with Corriere della Sera, where he explains that the Italian data from the Higher Institute of Health “show that vaccination efficacy in preventing any symptomatic or asymptomatic diagnosis of Covid-19 in fully vaccinated people decreased from 89%, during the epidemic phase with the prevalent alpha variant, to 76% during the phase with the prevalent Delta variant. Vaccination efficacy in preventing hospitalization remains very high. (92%), hospitalization in intensive care (95%) or death (91%) even with the current Delta variant. This is why we decided to administer a booster dose, starting from the categories at risk, after six months”. Same goes for the J&J (Janssen) vaccine, the single-dose. “The recall – explains Magrini – is considered a consolidated strategy for most vaccines: this strengthens the agency’s decision to offer it to those vaccinated with Janssen, regardless of age”. As for the increase in cases and hospitalizations, “the data are very clear: the highest incidence of cases is observed in unvaccinated people for whom the incidence of hospitalization is about seven times higher than in full-cycle vaccinated people. admissions to intensive care of the unvaccinated is seven times higher than that of the vaccinated, while the death rate among the over 80, in the last month, is about eleven times higher in the unvaccinated “. In Italy, he continues, “the situation seems to be less worrying than in other European countries, although there is also an increase in Italy. We have fewer infections for two main reasons: the high rate of vaccination coverage, among the best in the world, and the maintenance of good individual protection measures such as masks and hand hygiene. The Italians have shown great responsibility and civic sensitivity and in this way we have ensured a low circulation of the virus with only 1% of the population currently positive. But the virus likes winter and therefore we must keep our attention high “, Do we need the mass serological test proposed by the president of Veneto Luca Zaia? “At the moment there are no threshold values ​​for serological tests that can tell us if, to what extent and for how long an individual can be considered protected. Furthermore, the simple antibody assay is indicative of a single component of the immunological response which is much more complex and it also affects memory cells “. Finally, on the new antiviral molnupinavir he explains that “Aifa has activated for a rapid evaluation of Merck’s molnupiravir and also of Pfizer’s antiviral which has recently announced its results (yesterday, ed). The data are interesting: they are two new easy-to-use oral antiviral drugs. I believe they will soon be one more tool in our therapeutic armamentarium, but the essential weapon remains vaccines, which are needed more than any other therapy. Now, and I would like to repeat it, proceed quickly with the administration of the third doses is the priority “.