green light from the Ministry of Health- breaking latest news

S to the Covid vaccine together with that for seasonal flu. With a circular, signed by the general director of Prevention Gianni Rezza, and by the professors Brusaferro, Magrini and Locatelli, the Ministry of Health has given the green light today, Saturday 2 October, to the concomitant administration of the vaccine against Sars and that for the flu. The circular attaches a joint document from the National Institute of Health, the Italian Medicines Agency and the Superior Health Council.

Vaccines for fragile categories and third doses

In the document, which was sent to the Regions and competent Bodies, it is stated that in consideration of the approaching seasonal flu vaccination campaign, it is possible that some categories of subjects for whom the seasonal flu vaccination recommended and actively offered free of charge are at the same time eligible for the anti Sars-CoV-2 / Covid 19 vaccination (e.g. target groups of the additional dose or booster, people over 60 not yet vaccinated, etc).

Concomitant administration

In practice, those who already have seasonal vaccination and have not yet received the Covid vaccine or belong to the fragile categories for which the third dose is recommended, will be able to receive both vaccines at the same time, taking into account the current indications expressed by the main health authorities. international public.

Green light to programming

It will therefore be possible to schedule the administration of the two vaccines in compliance with the rules of good vaccination practice, in the same session, it being understood that a possible lack of availability of one of the two vaccines is not used as a reason to postpone the administration of the other. In sum, one vaccine cannot be postponed if the other is missing, concomitant administration is possible but not necessary and vaccines must be administered together if one can otherwise even after some time.

14-day gap between Covid vaccine and live attenuated vaccines

It is also possible to receive the Covid vaccine and another non-influenza vaccine both in the same administration and after some time with the exception, according to the circular, of live attenuated vaccines for which it can be considered valid. a minimum precautionary distance of 14 days before or after the Covid vaccine. Live attenuated vaccines are prepared using the microbes that cause infectious diseases but which are in fact attenuated with laboratory procedures. These are the vaccines for yellow fever, herpes zoster, measles, mumps and rubella, against rotavirus, typhus and chicken pox.

Italy in line with the objectives

Also this year the flu vaccination will be very important to better protect the most fragile people, said Health Minister Roberto Speranza, while General Francesco Figliuolo, from Saluzzo in the Cuneo area, where he began his career and where he received honorary citizenship, declared that Italy in line with the results we had set with the vaccination campaign. Soon, continued Figliuolo, we will reach 80% of vaccinated people over 12. When the vaccination campaign started we had 4 and a half million doses available, now we have 85 million doses.