On the one hand, the Minister of Health Schillaci who launches a campaign in favor of vaccines, on the other the League which insists on “freezing” the fines for no-vaxes by presenting an amendment to the anti-rave party decree law which provides for the extension of the payment of the penalties for no vax as of 30 June 2023 (from June 2022 the vaccination obligation no longer applies to over 50s, school staff and law enforcement, ed).
Fourth doses without sprint
The fact is that the fourth doses still don’t find the sprint. On the basis of official government data, so far just over 5 million Italians have made the second booster, 26.7% of the audience (primarily over 60s, health workers and RSAs, over 12s with high frailty). And since the end of October there has been a progressive decline in administrations. Until last week’s negative peak with 170 thousand administrations compared to 190 thousand the previous week.
Low percentages of adhesion among the elderly population
The worrying thing is that the fourth dose does not break through among the elderly population, the most exposed to the risk of hospitalization and death. In fact, only 41% of over-80s did the second booster. The 70-79 age group is still at 27% while in the 60-69 age group we are at 16%. With Northern Italy tending to be more willing to immunize itself than Southern Italy.
Schillaci: the vaccination campaign is underway, protect the weaker
That’s why Minister Schillaci has decided to take action by launching a new campaign on TV and social media to promote both the anti-Covid and the anti-flu vaccine. «We want to give a strong message to the entire population but our target is above all the elderly and the frail. We must face Covid and seasonal flu together, which this year seems to be very strong, and we must do it if possible with a single vaccination that can be done in a single session”, said Schillaci, who added: “There was a increase in cases but intensive care is below the guard level and this is what we must mainly look at. Covid is in an endemic phase and this has allowed us to regain spaces of normality”.
Rezza: there is no alarm and no hospital congestion either
“It doesn’t seem to me that at the moment there is a particular alarm” Covid. «There is a limited increase in cases, but there is no congestion in hospitals. It is clear that the situation is being monitored but it is within the expected range». This was stated by Giovanni Rezza, director of Prevention at the Ministry of Health, on the sidelines of World AIDS Day at the Ministry of Health.