Councilor Donini: “A further effort is needed to get vaccinated and protect the most vulnerable.”
January 8, 2024 – I am over 885 thousand the flu vaccinations, as of 8 January 2024, in Emilia-Romagna (886,076 exactly), which continues to be the region with the highest participation in the vaccination campaign. Encouraging and increasing data compared to the last survey at the end of November 2023 (722,314), but which are not enough to protect the most vulnerable.
In fact, in our region they have been confirmed to date 32 serious cases of flu, all confirmed for A(H1N1)pdm09. According to data from the Collective Prevention and Public Health Sector of the Region, among the 26 cases who had predisposing pathologies 22 were not vaccinated in this campaign, that is 85%. Furthermore, they were notified further 45 cases still being analyzed and which, if confirmed, would raise the number to 77 cases. Unfortunately, at the moment there are three deathsone of which to be confirmed.
“The Emilia-Romagna people – comments the councilor for health policies, Raffaele Donini– have joined the vaccination campaign in recent weeks, but these numbers are not enough. We are near the flu peak and there is still time to get vaccinated. This requires further effort. In recent weeks, unfortunately, both the flu and Covid have started circulating again and there is a risk that many unvaccinated patients could be infected. For this reason I renew the appeal to get vaccinated, for yourself, for the community, in particular for the most vulnerable, and to not burden the work of hospitals”.
Vaccinations for Local Health Authority
From the 886,076 vaccinations administered, 201.894 were inoculated into Romagna, 189.509 nell’Local health authority of Bologna, 143.127 in that of Modena, 99.047 In the Reggiano. It’s still 83.048 vaccinations registered byLocal health authority of Parma, 74.388 those fromLocal health authority of Ferrara, 56.991 a Piacenza e 27.525 fromLocal health authority of Imola. In the end, 9.854 it was the vaccinations of people residents in another region e 693 of people residing inestero.
It is covered by the vaccine 58% of the population over 65 years old. The population at risk between the ages of 7 and 59 is also well protected: they have been vaccinated 3,628 pregnant women, 18,169 healthcare workers, 125,950 people belonging to various risk categories.
The incidence and the most widespread viruses
In Emilia-Romagna, in the last week of December 2023, the incidence of flu-like syndromes (number of cases per 1,000 patients) was equal to 19,88. In fact, they have been estimated 88,665 almost. This is the highest figure since epidemiological surveillance began in mid-October (incidence equal to 5.53; 24,664 estimated cases), as foreseen by the Ministry of Health. And it is comparable to that of last year, which the technicians considered record-breaking.
In the children up to 4 years the incidence, again at the end of December, rose to 65,22 against 8.06 in mid-October. As usual, the incidence is higher in younger children.
The respiratory virus that is circulating the most is that influenza type A subtype H1N1 (43.3%), followed by Sars-Cov 2 (15.3%). Other viruses such as Rhinovirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (especially in children) and others are responsible for these flu-like syndromes.
People affected by flu-like syndromes, as per national definitions, show fever and respiratory symptoms which sentinel doctors (general practitioners and paediatricians of free choice) record and report to the national surveillance system RespiVirNetmanaged by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
The distribution of serious cases by territory
Of the 32 confirmed cases, 10 they refer to the territory of the Local Health Authority of Parma. Seven, however, were recorded in the Modena area, six in the province of Bologna and six in the Ferrarese area. A confirmed case in the Piacenza area. The other two refer, one to a person resident in another region and one resident abroad.