According to the Minister of Health, the Influenza A vaccine should be ready in October or November and vaccination could begin around that time although nothing has yet been finalised.
The initial vaccination campaign will be aimed at the ‘risk’ groups, namely children up to the age of 14 years, medical personnel, pregnant women and the chronically ill. This will account for about 40% of the population.
Any further expansion of the vaccination programme will be dependent upon necessity and based upon scientific data or advice available at the time.
The vaccination programme is being coordinated so that it will occur at the same time in all regions and the risk groups will also be identical in each region.
Responding to reports that Italy could ‘preview’ the vaccine, the Minister stated that vaccinations will begin as soon as the vaccine is produced by the laboratories but this will be universal throughout the EU, with no-one getting a head start.
The Minister is also in discussion with the various autonomous regions regarding the possibility of bringing forward the date for the ‘normal’ annual flu vaccinations.