After months of waiting and weeks of controversy, the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy. The first 249.600 doses they arrived this morning and by Monday they will be ready in 293 administration centers scattered around our country. This was confirmed by the extraordinary commissioner for the emergency Covid-19, Dominic Arcuri, during a press conference. Once ready, the first doses of the vaccine can be administered as early as Tuesday 9 February. As is now known, this vaccine differs from Modern e Pfizer since it is most effective when given to people with under the age of 55 (precisely because the age range it was tested on is between 18 and 55 years). The first to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy will therefore not be over 80 and over 60, but i subjects most exposed to Covid-19, category falling within the 3 phase of the vaccine plan.
Who will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine first in Italy?
The categories concerned include the school staff, police and essential service workers (transport sector, etc.). The decision to "anticipate phase 3" was also confirmed by Arches. As the Commissioner said: "We have decided with the regions to start a parallel path in the vaccination campaign and that is to continue to allocate Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to the progressive coverage of the population most at risk, to lower their lethality. AstraZeneca's vaccines will go on a parallel path. We decided to start with the priority categories: the teachers, police, armed forces, the essential service workers, prison staff, the people who live inside the prisons and the staff and guests who live in the community places. The objective of this second line of the campaign is to lower the multiplication and spread of infections».
The parallel path of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy is good news for all those categories of workers who risk contagion every day. Despite this, some doubts arise in this regard. The Minister of Health (outgoing) Roberto Speranza, at the summit with the regions, stated that "The demographic ceiling for the AstraZeneca vaccine could be exceeded in the future after further scientific assessments". If so, the AstraZeneca vaccine could also be used for older age groups. If the British pharmaceutical company and theEMA should certify its effectiveness also on over 55, what will become of this new path? It will be slowed down or temporarily blocked, waiting for the end 2 phase? Everything will probably depend on how many we have available (hoping that no other distribution problems will arise).
