Pediatric vaccination, Fimp: “It is important to counteract hesitation”

Vaccination coverage for childhood and adolescence unfortunately recorded values ​​well below the herd immunity for various important diseases. Antonio D’Avino, national vice president of Fimp (Italian Federation of Pediatricians), also took stock of the state of the art of all other vaccinations, including anti-Covid-19 and anti-meningococcal vaccinations. “The health emergency from Covid-19 has negatively affected all vaccinations, starting with those performed in the first years of life. In particular, it is the adolescent age group where vaccination coverage has significantly worsened, ”he explained. “It is very important not to let your guard down and, indeed, it is necessary to work all together to achieve the goal of the so-called” population immunity “(95% of the vaccinated), with which we obtain to limit the circulation in the community of viruses and of bacteria “. Giannamaria Vallefuoco, Fimp regional secretary also spoke on the subject: “Unfortunately, in the months of the Covid-19 pandemic, all vaccinations included in the 2017-2019 National Vaccine Prevention Plan suffered a drop in adhesions with a reduction in coverage both for compulsory vaccinations and all those recommended, except for the flu vaccination which has had an increase in coverage thanks to the feared possible concomitance of the two viral forms – flu and Covid 19 “. Precisely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an international survey conducted by Ipsos for Gsk, from March 2020 to March 2021 one in two parents was forced to postpone or cancel the appointment for the meningitis vaccination. And it is precisely on this disease that the spotlight has turned on with the aim of urging families to vaccinate and vaccinate their children. “Without any doubt – underlined D’Avino – vaccination is the most effective weapon we have. today to prevent bacterial meningitis. Vaccination against meningococcus of both serogroup B and ACWY serogroups is provided for by the National Vaccine Prevention Plan in force, but we hope that every form of collaboration between public health and primary care doctors (family pediatricians and doctors) will be implemented in all regions. of general medicine) with the sole purpose of encouraging an increase in vaccination coverage “. In particular, the Campania Region, in the pre-Covid era, had already issued two resolutions on anti-meningitis vaccinations. “The DR n ° 4 of 10-01-2017 provided for the use of the tetravalent vaccine Men A, C, W, Y conjugated to children from the 13th to the 18th month and – continued Vallefuoco – extending the same vaccine to short from 12 to 18 years both in subjects never vaccinated and in those vaccinated with Meningitis C if at least 5 years have elapsed from the first dose. In addition, with Decree No. 28 dated 25-03-2019, the active call and free offer of the B vaccine was ordered as well as to the new born also to adolescents aged 12, starting from the 2006 cohort “. meningitis is one of the most dangerous diseases, against which, until a few years ago, only the hope of an early diagnosis and effective treatment “existed”. “Now that we have a series of vaccines available, it is inconceivable not to resort to a safe practice that eliminates the risk, especially in the most exposed age groups – concluded the expert -. Precisely for this reason, health workers and first of all family pediatricians must take charge not only of maintaining the vaccination coverage threshold at levels that prevent the circulation of the infectious agent (herd immunity), but it is necessary, through the active call, to involve the non-compliant and recover the coverage in those courts with poor vaccination adhesion “. An even more felt need in this period of the year, in which the relaxation of the anti Covid measures could cause a sharp rise in cases of seasonal flu that for almost the whole of 2020- 21 has practically disappeared globally. Against this background, the importance of giving children also the flu vaccine which, as the expert explains, can be administered together with the meningococcal one. “Simultaneous administration in different sites, or on different days without any time limit, is not contraindicated for two inactivated vaccines such as those against meningitis and the one against influenza. There is no contraindication to simultaneous administration, indeed this indication should be suggested since this allows to optimize the organization of the system, “saving” a vaccination session for the operator and limiting, for example, also the discomfort of the parent who does not is forced to take time off from work to bring the child / adolescent back to the pediatrician for vaccination “. “I believe that the pediatrics of the territory – he commented – is ready to collaborate with the Departments of Public Health, taking the field directly to carry out vaccinations, with the awareness that only if all health professionals are united towards the same goal will health objectives for the benefit of the community “.