On April 22nd, the Bologna Local Health Authority will be hosting two open days in San Giovanni in Persiceto and Bologna to vaccinate against shingles (herpes zoster), pneumococcus, and papilloma virus in honor of World Immunization Week. This initiative comes as the health authority celebrates 50 years of the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI), which has led to the eradication of diseases such as smallpox and polio.
The first open day will take place in San Giovanni in Persiceto, targeting men and women born between 1952 and 1959 who have not yet been vaccinated against shingles and pneumococcus. The event will be held at the health center in Circonvallazione Dante Alighieri, 12/D from 9 am to 1 pm. In Bologna, the focus will be on vaccinating young people against the papillomavirus (HPV) in the afternoon, specifically girls born between 1999 and 2012 and boys born between 2006 and 2012. This event will take place at the Community House – Navile from 2 pm to 6 pm.
On April 23rd, a conference titled ‘Vaccinations: the network of services in the territory of the Local Health Authority of Bologna’ will be held at the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna. The conference is geared towards healthcare professionals involved in vaccination promotion and will highlight vaccination coverage and strategies to expand it in the region.
The Expanded Immunization Program has been crucial in improving global health, with the number of childhood diseases protected against increasing from 6 to 13 vaccines over the past 50 years. Despite progress, the World Health Organization emphasizes the need for further efforts to ensure widespread vaccination coverage.