Covid: De Gregorio (Gsk Vaccines), ‘at the end of the lockdown risk of new meningitis cases’

Rome, March 24 (beraking latest news Health) – “Awareness of the importance of vaccines will grow after the Covid emergency and could certainly increase the acceptance of vaccines, but the effect will be seen in several months while the impact of the decline in mandatory vaccinations, including but not only meningitis, it will be high because many people will be more susceptible to the end of the lockdown. My fear is that it will be worse because there are more exposed and less vaccinated people. ” Ennio De Gregorio, head of research and development center, Gsk Vaccines Italy, among the speakers of the webinar ‘The meningococcal vaccination in the Covid-19 era’ explained this to beraking latest news Salute.

“We do not know what will happen from the epidemiological point of view for these diseases – warns De Gregorio – We have never experienced a lockdown on a global scale. We know that this year we have had few cases of flu, for the first time in history, but how long will it take to return? Will it come back weaker or stronger than before? We do not know. The fear is certainly that these infections, depending on the pathogen, will return. And especially in the case of meningitis where there is a bacterium that can remain as a ‘commensal’ without giving the disease symptomatically and that continues to exist in the population. This type of disease – he observes – will be the first to restart when the activities resume. Instead, viral diseases could take a little longer as in the case respiratory diseases. But it is all to be seen because we have never experienced an epidemiological situation like this on a large scale “.

What can be done to reverse the trend bearing in mind that the Covid emergency will not end soon? “A vaccination campaign could be carried out where, alongside the anti-Covid immunization, the mandatory or recommended ones for risk groups are also mentioned – suggests the expert – But it is important to have clinical data that show that anti-Covid vaccines can be co-administered with the other traditional ones and not if there will be. As for vaccines in pediatric age, we are also working on Covid-19 – remember – when clinical trials are presented for authorization it is necessary to have done even those on co-administration, a long job because it means going to evaluate the non-interference of the new anti-Covid vaccine with respect to those of the vaccination program provided by the individual countries. There are many vaccines and it is a long job “.

In conclusion, De Gregorio recalls that “for all pediatric vaccines it is necessary to continue vaccinating even during an emergency, it is really important. For those who have not done so, it must be said that they are always on time and must contact the pediatrician to find out when the time is right. better to recover lost vaccinations. You cannot give a prescription for everyone – he concludes – but it is the doctor who tells you when and how to do the missed immunizations. But it is important to protect the child because they are diseases that will come back, they have not been eradicated “.