Fourth dose coming? Yes, but not for everyone. After the approval of the EMA and the ECDC on the fourth dose of the anti Covid-19 vaccine (second booster) to the over 80s, in a joint note the Ministry of Health, the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa), the Institute Superior of Health (Iss) and the Superior Council of Health (Css) have indicated the method of administration for Italy.
The fourth dose (or second booster) will be scheduled for people who have reached or exceeded 80 years of age, for guests of the RSA and for those who are included in the categories at risk and are aged between 60 and 79 years.
The surge in infections has prompted European governments to question the possibility of a fourth dose of the anti Covid vaccine. Italy follows the indications of the Ema and Ecdc task force and extends the fourth dose. Let’s go into detail.
The fourth dose arrives in Italy, that’s for whom
In Italy, the fourth dose of the anti Covid-19 vaccine will be planned “for people who have completed or passed the 80 years of agefor the guests of the RSA and for those who are included in the categories at risk and are aged between 60 and 79 years».
The method of administration of the second booster is indicated by one joint note of the Ministry of Health, Aifa, Iss and Css. The indications arrive after the approval of Ema and Ecdc at the fourth dose for those over 80. And following the meeting of the Technical Scientific Commission (Cts) and Aifa.
The note reads: “It is recommended that a second booster dose (second booster) with Covid mRna vaccine be administered in the dosages authorized for the booster dose, provided that a period of time has elapsed. minimum interval of at least 120 days from the first booster dose».
At the moment, the indication does not apply “to subjects who contracted Sars-CoV-2 infection after the first booster dose».
The indications of Ema and Ecdc
A few days ago they arrived the indications of the Covid-19 task force of Ecdc and Ema regarding the extension of the fourth dose of the vaccine. Here is what we read in the text: “For adults under the age of 60 with normal immune systems, there is currently no conclusive evidence that Covid vaccine protection against serious disease is decreasing or that there is added value in a fourth dose.».
For the two agencies, therefore, it is not yet the case to extend the second booster to the entire population. But both bodies gave the go-ahead for adults aged 80 or over.
«ECDC and EMA’s Covid Task Force (ETF) – the press release continues – they concluded that it is too early to consider using a fourth dose of Pfizer’s Comirnaty * and Moderna’s Spikevax * vaccines in the general population. However, both agencies agreed that a fourth dose (or second booster) can be given to adults aged 80 and over after reviewing data on the highest risk of severe Covid in this age group and on the protection provided by a fourth dose».
Therefore, the ECDC and the EMA gave theok for the extension of the fourth dose of the anti Covid vaccine to the over 80s.
The epidemiological situation in Italy
In Italy the virus has resumed its run. In yesterday’s bulletin, Friday 8 April, the new cases in the 24 hours were 66,535. The victims are 144.
The number of people who have contracted the Sars-CoV-2 virus (including recovered and died) since the beginning of the epidemic is 15,173,707. While the total number of deaths has risen to 160,546 since February 2020.
At the moment i currently positive – that is the subjects who have the virus – there are 1,249,607.
