Elderly people, because it is important to get vaccinated against influenza, pneumococcus and herpes Zoster – breaking latest news

The vaccinations they are a fundamental tool for preventing important pathologies – and even mortality – especially in the elderly and in frail subjects. Nevertheless, u
One in four people over 65 does not have enough information about vaccines against influenza, anti-Covid and against Herpes zoster
(shingles), although they are their own elderly and “fragile” subjects to be i more exposed to infections. what emerges from a survey conducted by Senior Italy FederAnziani in March on a sample of about 1,400 people “over 65”, to investigate the perception that the elderly population has with respect to vaccinations that prevent flu, pneumococcal infections or shingles. The survey was presented at the meeting Investing in the future: vaccine prevention as a driving force for health, well-being and sustainability, held at the Ministry of Health, promoted by beraking latest news with Senior Italia Federanziani, Federsanit, Anci and carried out in collaboration with FB&Associati and with the unconditional contribution of Gsk .

We need more information

According to the survey, about one in three respondents know about these vaccines thanks to their doctor while more than 2 percent of the sample is completely unaware of its existence. Almost 80 percent of the interviewees declare that they are aware of the free access to the administration of some vaccines for adults and the elderly, 15.3 percent have however received little information while 4.4 percent say they never have any heard of.
A good level of general knowledge emerges from the survey, but there are still some unsatisfied needs – comments Roberto Messina, Senior President of Italy Federanziani–. The elders want learn more about the vaccines they are entitled to for freebut above all they would like to be able to ebe vaccinated in the offices of general practitioners, also because not all the elderly live near vaccination centers and having the caregivers far away, they are unable to access these prevention tools. My appeal: vaccinate, inform and make things easier for all the elderly, especially those who live in small towns.

The recommended (and free) vaccinations for the elderly

But what are the vaccinations recommended for the elderly and offered free of charge by the National Health Service?
For people aged 65 and over, regardless of the presence of particular risk situations, they are recommended and free:
–
the flu vaccination to reduce complications, hospitalizations and deaths due to this infection, which must be repeated every year (in the period October-December);

– the herpes zoster vaccination (
“shingles”) able to reduce by about 65 percent cases of post-herpetic neuralgia (one of the most frequent and debilitating complications of the disease) and about 50 percent of all clinical cases of zoster;
– the pneumococcal vaccination which can be done simultaneously with the flu vaccine or independently, in any season of the yearand is administered, according to current indications, only once in life, in two doses.

Cursed triad

Bringing the older sections of the population to vaccination is not easy – said the director general of Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Gianni Rezza -. The biggest problem for the elderly is the so-called “t
cursed riad” consisting of influenza, pneumococcus and herpes Zoster. For vaccination anti-flu, in the first year of the pandemic there was an increase in the number of vaccinated people and for the first time the elderly have achieved significant coverage; afterwards, however, we also witnessed a collapse in the coverage of the anti-flu vaccination – explained Rezza -. As for i pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccines we know that things are not particularly bad for the former, while for the anti-herpes Zoster the coverage is completely inadequate. true that the well-known “shingles” is not a lethal pathology and that the perception of risk is low, but a very annoying disease for which action must somehow be taken to increase coverage and encourage citizens to get vaccinated, obviously on a voluntary basis . And it is possible to do this by involving more general practitioners but also the specialists who treat elderly people, frail and immunosuppressed subjects concluded Rezza.