Influenza: with adjuvanted vaccines more protection for over 65s

Rome, 31 March (beraking latest news Health) – In Italy, influenza and its complications cause an average of 8,000 deaths a year of which, according to ECDC data, 90% are elderly. “The aging processes involving the immune system starting from 65 years of age – explains Francesco Landi, president of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics – determine a reduction in the ability to produce an efficient immune response in response to the attack of pathogens like influenza viruses “.

For this reason, scientific research aims to provide increasingly innovative and appropriate tools to meet the needs of patients, including in the vaccination field. With this in mind, last May the European Medicines Agency granted authorization for the use in European countries of Fluad Tetra, a quadrivalent adjuvanted vaccine for the active prophylaxis of influenza in people over the age of 65. It will be available in Italy starting from the next 2021/2022 influenza vaccination campaign.

“The clinical evidence collected over the years – underlines Landi – testifies to the importance of the use of adjuvanted vaccines in enhancing the protection of the over-65s. The presence of the adjuvant component confers a series of additional benefits such as greater immunogenicity, a broader immune response and extended over time, cross-protection against influenza viruses that can mutate during the influenza season and thus differ from those included in the vaccine composition “.

The appropriateness of the vaccine is also important. “There are many flu vaccines in relation to the age and state of health of the subject – underlines Roberto Ieraci, infectious disease specialist and scientific referent for ASL Roma 1 vaccinations and vaccination strategies of the Lazio Region – Providing a fair vaccination offer, easily accessible for the presence in Italy of the 65 thousand offices of general practitioners enhanced by a personalized approach, prevention is carried out with precision adequate to the individual needs of the patient. What happened last year in various Italian regions where – Ieraci recalls – given to the vaccination services of family doctors a single type of vaccine that started from six months up to 100 years is inadmissible, because the flu vaccine must be given in relation to age and state of health “.