PAVIA. The flu season has started and so has the vaccination. The GPs have already left, and the participating pharmacies will be involved from Monday. Over 60, elderly, fragile subjects but also children: these are some of the people to be protected in the first place. And from Ats comes the recommendation: «Get vaccinated, this is not a trivial disease – says Lorella Cecconami, general manager of Ats Pavia -. It can have serious, even fatal, consequences for older people. “
Who to protect
In the province, about 170 thousand people can join the campaign. “There are also children, among whom we note an advance of the epidemic,” says Lidia Decembrino, pediatrician and medical director of Asst Pavia, as well as municipal councilor at Mezzabarba.
Pavesi born before 1962 (in their sixties and over), fragile patients suffering from diseases, pregnant women and in the post-partum period. But also children born between 2008 and 2022, those between six months and fourteen years. These are the categories to which the anti-flu administration is recommended, according to the ministerial directives for the 2022/23 campaign. A relevant audience of subjects, who can already access the vaccine through the general practitioner. In the city live about 18 thousand over 60s (170 thousand in the province) and almost 8 thousand children between zero and 14 years. Then there are pregnant women and other categories: doctors and care personnel exposed to the risk of transmission, police forces (including local), firefighters, blood donors, workers in contact with animals or material of animal origin, school staff, family members and close contacts of subjects at risk of complications. «Vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy – adds Cecconami – which is made even more necessary by the current epidemiological situation, with Covid19 still circulating among the population. The fourth dose is also offered to the elderly, who are a particularly delicate segment of the population “. There are also children to be protected, those that common sense would like to be more “safe” from seasonal ailments.
Children and boys
“This year we expect an advance of the flu epidemic – explains Decembrino – even among the youngest, where the virus is circulating. Our screenings conducted for access to the emergency room have already detected the first cases ». As in many areas of healthcare, the advent of Covid has scattered the cards: «After a long period with masks, the little ones have returned to the community, with the greatest risk of getting sick. This is why it is important to protect them with the vaccine. Sociality has been mediated through protective devices, and with schools open it is appropriate to protect the little ones. Covid has changed the epidemic flows of seasonal viruses: if before the circulation of influenza viruses was distributed throughout the cold period, now it manifests itself with a different trend, also due to competition with the coronavirus “. While the vaccination continues, pharmacies will also join on Monday, thanks to an agreement with trade associations. Reservations are made online (vaccinazioneantinfluenzale.regione.lombardia.it/) at the nearest office based on the availability of available appointments.