In Italy they are over 17.5 million doses of the anti-flu vaccine already available: Franco Locatelli, president of the Superior Health Council (Css) and member of the Technical Scientific Committee (Cts) on the Covid emergency, said this in the Buongiorno broadcast of Sky TG24. “Availability for a very large number of flu vaccines has been ensured,” he noted. “We are well above 17.5 million already today, a decidedly increased number compared to what was used in previous years. Do not get the misleading message – he added – that the central government and the regions are not gearing up for influenza vaccination “.
The Ministry of Health “shared” the requests of the pharmacists in regarding the inadequacy of the quota of anti-influenza vaccines to be allocated to the active population through pharmacies and “has activated the necessary channels to find, within the next few days, a solution that will allow us to meet the needs of the population not included in the categories at risk” for influenza vaccination. This was announced by the Federation of the orders of Italian pharmacists (Fofi), Federfarma and Assofarm after the meeting held yesterday at the Ministry of Health.
The new meeting took place between the representatives of the Ministry of Health and of Fofi, Federfarma and Assofarm to discuss the availability of flu vaccines in community pharmacies. Representatives of pharmacists naturally agreed on the need to ensure the maximum possible coverage against seasonal flu for the categories at risk, namely children, the elderly and the chronically ill. They also reiterated the importance of being able to guarantee, in order to limit the circulation of the flu virus, similar coverage to the active population: people who go to work every day, use public transport and have a more intense relationship life. It is “undoubtedly a positive fact – say Fofi, Federfarma and Assofarm – that the Regions have decided to allocate a part of vaccines to pharmacies, but the expected quantity, about 250,000 doses, is absolutely insufficient to achieve this goal, especially this one. ‘year, when a significant increase in demand is expected, which could reach 1.5 million doses compared to an average of around one million “. The Ministry, they underline, therefore “agreed on the correctness of these observations and activated the necessary channels to find a solution within the next few days”. Pharmacist organizations thank Minister Roberto Speranza for “the commitment shown” and hope that a “positive conclusion will be reached as soon as possible for the benefit above all of the protection of citizens”.
“The quotas of the flu vaccine to be purchased in pharmacies by the active population who do not belong to the protected groups will arrive from abroad. We expect more than one million doses to be recovered”. This was announced by the president of Federfarma Marco Cossolo, clarifying that the indication to address the foreign market is contained in the agreement between the State and the Regions. “It will be the importers to contact the international companies and submit the dossier to AIFA, which in turn will have to initiate the necessary checks on the product, give the authorization and favor distribution on the Italian market”, added Cossolo.
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