Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "We have a segment of the population that is aging and, as they age, has comorbidities. Vaccinations are an important tool in limiting certain situations that can exacerbate already problematic underlying conditions, such as chronic cardiac and respiratory diseases, which can worsen in the presence of viruses like influenza, Covid-19, or other viral and bacterial agents that can damage the heart and other body systems."
This was stated by Fabrizio Pregliasco, director of the School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the University of Milan, at the SITI (Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health) conference, taking place in Genoa until Saturday, October 24.
"It's essential to adopt a lifelong approach to vaccination," says the expert. "Traditional pediatric vaccination schedules are no longer the only thing; there's also a need for booster doses and personalized protection based on each person's condition."
Consider, for example, travel medicine, when visiting certain countries or dealing with specific situations, or the workplace. Paying attention to your vaccination status, along with your family doctor and prevention services, therefore becomes essential, especially for adults and the elderly.
The flu vaccination “can also be an opportunity to add, in the same session or by scheduling it later, other vaccinations that are often overlooked,” explains Pregliasco. “The direct and indirect impact of preventable diseases is considerable, and the benefits of vaccination, from a public health and community perspective, are significant.
Unfortunately, at this time, vaccination against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is not yet available in Italy for adults and the elderly, even though the vaccine is already registered. I hope it will be included at the ministerial level in the near future, when the National Vaccination Prevention Plan is renewed. Currently, monoclonal antibodies are used for RSV in infants and children. I therefore hope that vaccination of the elderly will soon become another tool at our disposal. RSV has always been present, but only now, thanks to molecular biology tests, are we able to better identify its contribution to respiratory infections. In the past, we primarily measured influenza, which obviously remains important, but it is not the only agent responsible for infections during the flu season.
"In addition to the tetanus and diphtheria boosters every 10 years, the flu vaccination is definitely a must to maintain protection," the virologist emphasizes. "I also believe the Covid-19 vaccination is important for the frail and elderly, because it is still with us: it is less aggressive than in the past, but continues to have severe effects on the most frail. Vaccinations against shingles and pneumococcus are also important. Finally," he emphasizes, "I hope that vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus will also become available."
Regarding access to vaccination, "networking and comprehensive collaboration are necessary among all settings where vaccinations can be administered," Pregliasco emphasizes. "Pharmacies are therefore welcome—there are already numerous experiences—but vaccinations in hospitals and wards also need to be increased, because some vaccinations are not strictly seasonal and can be administered at different times of the year, such as those against COVID-19 and Herpes Zoster. We therefore need to identify diversified methods and involve specialists more closely. We are talking about diagnostic-therapeutic-care pathways (DTCs), to which we want to add a 'P' in front, to emphasize the importance of 'prevention.' Cardiologists, for example, can already recommend vaccination, but they should be even more actively involved in this process. If specialists become an active participant in the vaccination process," the doctor concludes, "vaccination takes on an even more important role."
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