Europe has launched the coronavirus vaccination campaign …

From Rome

The “Vax Day”, December 27, the day when anti-ovid vaccinations began in Italy and in a large part of European countries, will go down in European history as one of the most significant days. decades, at least since World War II. Because while there were no shootings, no bombings, or the material destruction of entire cities, as there was at the time, the coronavirus has acted (and always will act) as a silent bomb, like an aggressive enemy, which so far has claimed the lives of at least 1.7 million people worldwide, including just over 430,000 in the Old Continent.

But just because vaccinations have started, as many experts have pointed out, does not mean that the virus has been defeated. Especially now that there is emphatic talk of new and different strains born in other countries like South Africa and Great Britain. Apparently, the one that was developed in England is said to be much more contagious than the COVID-19 strains known so far, but not more dangerous. And while the vaccination opens the door to hope, it doesn’t say that a third wave of infections cannot occur due to the new strain despite the fact that Italy, like others European countries, has blocked flights from Britain to prevent the spread of the virus. Even so, some cases of the new strain of the virus have already been detected in different Italian cities, from people originally from England to be precise.

The start of the vaccination “is a light after a long night” commented the Extraordinary Commissioner facing the pandemic in Italy of covid19, Domenico Arcuri, who however underlined in statements to the Italian press: “The higher the level of responsibility in when it comes to protecting citizens, the greater the risk of a new wave of infections. It will take a long time to control the virus. Responsibility and patience are essential ”. According to Arcuri, the end of the night will come when 70 or 80% of the population has been vaccinated, which is only scheduled for the Italian fall (i.e. from September 2021).

In Italy, in less than a year since China made covid-19 known on December 31, there have been more than two million cases and nearly 72,000 deaths. In November, the most aggressive part of the second wave of infections began in October, reaching more than 40,000 new cases in one day on November 13. From that point, according to official data, new infections began to slowly decline, reaching 10,400 cases in 24 hours as of December 26. But Arrival of new strain of coronavirus could open doors to third wave, experts fear, especially if protective measures such as distances, chin straps and compliance with the rigid regulations imposed by the government for the celebrations of the end of the year festivities are still not respected.

The first doses (9,750 for Italy) of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine – which were also delivered to other European countries for the “V day” and which had been ordered by the European Commission – arrived directly from Belgium, where they were produced, at Spallanzani Hospital in Rome. The doses had arrived on the 26th in Italy but also in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Portugal, Spain, so that they could start vaccinating on the 27th. A little earlier, they reached Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. Vaccinations should start on December 28 in Belgium and Luxembourg and after January 8 in the Netherlands. Sweden, Norway and Denmark have also received the vaccines. On January 8, moreover, the EMA (European Medicines Agency) could give its approval for the distribution of the vaccine developed by the American company Moderna, which could increase the number of doses available in the world.

In Italy, the army will be responsible for distributing the first vaccines in the different regions. From December 28, between 450,000 and 470,000 doses will arrive each week, which will be distributed directly by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in the 294 vaccination points created by regional governments. The idea is to vaccinate first of all the health personnel of the hospitals and the personnel and the people accommodated in the Residences for the elderly, which are very widespread throughout the country and which have been a serious center of dissemination in recent months. The elderly in general are among the first candidates to be vaccinated.

In the first quarter, it is estimated that more than 28 million doses from different laboratories are expected to reach Italy, which would make it possible to vaccinate perhaps less than half of the 60 million inhabitants (since some vaccines require two doses), of which 14 million are over 65 years old.

On December 27, the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were injected in Rome, to five employees of the Spallanzani hospital for infectious diseases, a researcher, two doctors, a nurse and a health worker. Researcher María Rosaria Capobianchi, director of the Spallanzani virology laboratory – who helped diagnose the first case of covid detected in Italy – told reporters after being vaccinated: “I feel very good. We have to trust science. I volunteered to be vaccinated and was chosen as a symbol, as if to tell people to trust and believe in science. Because the choices are made on the basis of sound scientific evaluations ”.

The nurse Claudia Alivernini, declared for her part: “This morning, I was vaccinated, with great pride. It is a small but fundamental gesture. I understood, because I was very close, how difficult it is to fight against this virus. Science and medicine are the only things that, along with responsibility, will help us out of this pandemic. I say it from the bottom of my heart: let’s all get vaccinated ”.

The nurse’s demand to the population arises because many of her colleagues or people who work in hospitals and centers for the elderly, reject the vaccine, yielding to skepticism of “No Vac”, a movement that exists in several countries. Europe and which questions above all the vaccines used for children.

During the day of December 27, around 130 people were also vaccinated in Rome, all health workers who will take care of the vaccination centers that will soon open across the country. “This is a day we have been waiting for a long time,” said Health Minister Roberto Speranza. – The light is coming but you have to resist a few more months. It serves to respect the rules ”.