Donini: “Get vaccinated, especially if you are in fragile conditions, health companies are on the ground with initiatives to encourage the widest possible participation”
SARS-CoV-2 infections are also increasing in Emilia-Romagna: +73% compared to the beginning of November. Open days and courses dedicated to the most vulnerable are coming soon. 42% of the over 60 population has received the flu vaccine, 18.5% of over 80s have been vaccinated against Covid
December 1, 2023 – Beyond 722 thousand flu vaccinations carried outa end of Novemberin Emilia Romagna (exactly 722,314), with high coverage of the most vulnerable: of the total, almost 589 thousand were administered to the over 60s. 185.582 instead, again on November 29th, i vaccines facts against Covidof which more than 68 thousand to those over eighty.
The region is therefore confirmed among the first in Italy for both vaccination campaigns, even in the case of Covid where the coverage among the over 80s is 18.5% and the overall coverage of the population over 60 is 13.2%. But we need to accelerate to secure the most fragile, because the virus SARS-CoV-2 it is circulating again and, in addition to infections, daily visits to the emergency room are increasing.
On the way, therefore, extraordinary measures to encourage the widest possible adherence to vaccination: la Region ha convened the health authorities Monday next to agree on a shared strategy, inviting them in the meantime to strengthen the administration of the anti-Covid vaccine in fragile subjects through the local or hospital services that already care for these citizens: they will be able to get vaccinated in the locations where they normally receive treatment for their pathologies such as clinics, hospitals, health centers.
Among the initiatives being looked at, also the anti Covid open day without reservation, on days and time slots that can facilitate access, for example on weekends; L’Local health authority of Piacenza will lead the way with two days of free access Saturday 2 and Saturday 9 December 2023 from 9am to 12.30pm in the Health and Community House in Piazzale Milano.
“The data on the vaccination campaigns are positive, and for Covid we are also among the first in Italy, but precisely on this front we need to accelerate to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in particular – comments the councilor for health policies, Raffaele Donini-. Between November and January the number of admissions to the emergency room for respiratory pathologies is always very high, also due to the flu, but the peak is expected in the next few weeks: Covid has started circulating again, and this year the emergency rooms are adding many unvaccinated patients, which affects the operation of the emergency departments. This is why we renew our appeal: it is extremely important to get vaccinated, for yourself, for the community and also to avoid aggravating the burden on hospitals. Precisely to further strengthen the vaccination campaign, we will share extraordinary initiatives with the health authorities, and we invite people with low-complexity pathologies to go to the Emergency Assistance Centres, which are functioning well”.
Flu vaccination
The flu vaccine was administered to 722,314 people, in 93% of cases by general practitioners. It is covered by the vaccine 42% of the population over 60 years old. Even the at-risk population between 7 and 59 years old is well protected: they have been vaccinated 2.579 pregnant women, 16.383 healthcare workers, 97.554 people belonging to various risk categories.
Vaccination against Covid
So far they have been vaccinated against Covid beyond 185mila people, nell’85% of cases by their treating doctors. In other cases, paediatricians of free choice, pharmacies, hospitals or vaccination centers intervened.
Vaccination coverage has reached 13,2% of citizens over 60, a percentage that rises to 18,5% if only those over eighty are taken into consideration. These are among the highest percentages in Italy, but still far from the coverage rate of the pandemic years, when in Emilia-Romagna over 95% of the population was vaccinated against Covid.
Meanwhile, the SARS-CoV-2 contagion: new positive cases In Emilia-Romagna in the week between 24 and 30 November they were 3.847 (+73% compared to the week between 3 and 9 November), deaths have doubled from 19 to 39, the number of ordinary hospitalizations grew by 61% (1.257 compared to 782) and intensive care was necessary for 27 patients (+35% compared to 20 in the first week of the month).
The role of Emergency Assistance Centers
To avoid overcrowding the emergency rooms in the most complex periods of the year, people with emergencies, but of low complexity, can go to the Emergency Assistance Centres, where the numbers of the first structures inaugurated are positive. Both a Budrio that a Vergato (in the Bologna area) almost all daily access is managed directly by the structures: in particular in Budrio, out of 40 patients who access on average every day, only 6 on average are transported to the Bentivoglio hospital or to the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic; in Vergato, the daily accesses averaged 18, and only in a couple of cases per day was it necessary to transfer the patient to the Maggiore or Porretta hospital.
I am 6 i CAU activated so far in Emilia-Romagna: in addition to Budrio e Vergato in the Bolognese area, those of Ferrara, Comacchio, Copparo e Portomaggiore.
To these, others will be progressively added in the territories of the whole region starting from the next few days, including Piacenza from December 4th, Bologna Navile from the 11th, Casalecchio from the 18th; from December 21st Imola.
Meanwhile, the story continues campaign of comunication, also multimedia, developed by Region to explain how the CAUs work and what needs they respond to. Aimed at the entire population and in five languages (Italian, English, French, Arabic and Chinese), the campaign explains the purposes of the reorganization, the characteristics of the new network, the activation timing, where the CAUs will arise and how they will function, and for which pathologies they are indicated. With a section Questions/Answers available online to clarify any doubts of citizens – – within the web page dedicated to the reform of the emergency emergency system on the Region’s website https://salute.regione.emilia-romagna.it/emergenzaurgenza.