Covid, Bassetti: “Flop fourth dose, now without autumn plan” *

“The feeling is that there is no precise plan of the Ministry of Health” for the new anti-Covid vaccination campaign “which comes at the worst moment: with the race to the vote on September 25 and a Minister of Health who is finishing his mandate. There is only talk of elections and zero vaccination campaigns. It would take a minister to set the agenda, but there isn’t. It was widely expected that the fourth dose under the umbrella would have been a failure and the numbers today prove it ” . Matteo Bassetti, director of Infectious Diseases of the San Martino hospital in Genoa, underlines this to Adnkronos Health, according to whom the recommendation “for the fourth dose with vaccines to update you” should be addressed with priority to 70% of those over 80, 80 % of over 70s and 95% of over 60s who have not taken the fourth dose, vaccination must be the top priority for these ‘late’ people. “” It takes absolute priority in this month of September and to finish by October. Then all the others, the health workers will get vaccinated but there is no absolute priority “, remarks Bassetti, speaking on the circular of the Ministry of Health on bivalent vaccines, (Wuhan / Omicron 1) which will be administered every day in Italy as a dose of recall, and which includes over 60 and the frail also health workers, operators and guests of residential structures. “Now – adds the infectious disease specialist – it is necessary to secure with the updated booster dose those who have not taken the fourth dose when it had to be done. The additional categories envisaged by the circular, from health workers to pregnant women, can do so even afterwards, today we have priority for the over 60 and the frail “.” The elderly over 60 and the frail must have better access to vaccination centers – suggests Bassetti -. These people should be called and perhaps the vaccine should be taken home or to the nearest pharmacy. If we know how to vaccinate the vast majority of these people, autumn will be calmer “.