The infectious diseases and vaccinations technical table and the national working group for migrant children of the italian society of paediatrics (sip) have developed a vademecum for the reception of minors fleeing from Ukraine and arriving in our country.
“The document – reads a note – is aimed at structures, organizations and all those involved in the reception of these children with the aim of offering them the best possible health care through a homogeneous and evidence-based approach. “.
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Five rules to follow
In particular, the SIP recommends to ensure all Ukrainian children fleeing their country:
- right to the family pediatrician with assignment of the ‘stp code’ (foreign temporarily present) which allows them to have the same rights as Italian children for access to health services, including the choice of the family pediatrician;
- medical examination to evaluate the nutritional status, the cardiorespiratory system (by measuring blood pressure) and the state of the skin for the identification of ectoparasitosis. “It is also suggested to evaluate the presence of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, itching which may be suggestive of parasitosis – it highlights the sip- in addition, the presence of signs and / or symptoms of anemia is monitored, offering, if necessary, a blood count to evaluate the general state of health “.
- screening for Covid-19 within 48 hours of the arrival of children in our country with antigenic or molecular nasopharyngeal swabs in accordance with current legislation and the possibility of being vaccinated against Covid-19 from the age of 5;
- routine vaccinations in relation to age, according to the schedule of the national vaccination prevention plan in force in Italy, trying to reconstruct, if possible, the vaccination scheme to which the minor has been subjected;
- screening for tuberculosis considering the high incidence of this pathology in Ukraine. It is advisable to perform the screening for TB with intradermal reaction of mantoux (tst) or, alternatively, with the hyigra test (the latter indicated in particular in cases of previous vaccination and in subjects aged = 5 years). In patients with persistent cough for more than 2 weeks, a chest X-ray and subsequent further diagnostic tests are recommended.
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The psychological aspects
The Italian pediatricians then underline the importance of offering children fleeing from Ukraine the right to listen by providing psychological support and promoting family reunification as soon as possible and the presence of cultural mediators with specific health skills, in order to support the relationship. doctor-patient and the use of information tools for the registration and ready availability of health data, without prejudice to the needs of protecting the privacy of the minor along the entire reception process.
The school as a tool of integration
Finally, the SIP recommends “a rapid integration of minor refugees into the school environment in order to promote language learning and social integration”. The Italian society of paediatrics has also activated the e-mail address [email protected] to which one can contact for the advice of the SIP experts in case of doubts or difficulties in pediatric infectious disease management.
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