“For fear of Covid, reduced pediatric vaccinations’

(beraking latest news Salute) – The pandemic has hit pediatric vaccinations “causing delays, cancellations or cancellations, for fear of Covid”. Chiara Azzari, immunologist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Florence and head of the Immunology laboratory at the Meyer hospital explains this to beraking latest news Salute. “We are very worried, in this year of the Covid pandemic, pediatric vaccinations have decreased all over the world and also in Italy. The ones that have suffered the hardest blow are the vaccinations for meningococcus and HPV, followed by those with the hexavalent in the first year of life “.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic emergency has changed some priorities and also at the organizational level the resources, staff and many prevention structures have been redesigned to meet the needs related to Covid – recalls the immunologist – this has taken away staff and spaces for vaccinations. But pediatric immunizations can be recovered, indeed they must absolutely recover by pushing more on co-administrations which, in addition to being safe, can help to rationalize the diaries of vaccination centers and help to make up for lost time. centers that are now so busy with the pandemic. Then – he adds – even free choice pediatricians could lend a hand, making backward vaccinations in their studies “.

On the co-administration of vaccines “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Cdc) of Atlanta in their publication dedicated to vaccinations tell us very clearly that every immunization is co-administered – Azzari recalls – therefore there is no problem in making hexavalent, pneumococcus and meningococcus. We have the experience of the English public health that organize pediatric vaccinations with the administration of hexavalent, pneumococcus, meningococcus B and rotavirus. British children are certainly no different from Italian ones. Co-administration is an opportunity to recover 4 vaccines together if in this year they are postponed, for example “.

The anti-Covid vaccine effect as an opportunity to get out of the pandemic is also changing the approach of Italians to immunizations. “People are starting to understand that vaccines can save lives. I have never seen so much preparation on a scientific subject as in this year of emergency, there is a lot of ‘good’ information about vaccines and what people need to do. reliance “.

According to the immunologist, “in the future it could be advantageous to imagine a co-administration of the anti-Covid vaccine with those in the pediatric age” and in fact, anti-Covid vaccines for children and teenagers. “It may be that in a first phase these doses are administered at different times – suggests Azzari – to evaluate adverse events and not because they are dangerous, we are now well aware that very rare thrombotic events can occur but we have discovered this by vaccinating millions of people”. In conclusion, the immunologist sends a message to ‘late’ parents: “The vaccinations can be recovered at any time but we do not leave the children uncovered, we do not run any risks”.