The third dose campaign starts and reaches 80% of those over 12 years of age

This Monday the vaccination of third dose, three million fragile people: immunocompromised, cancerous and on dialysis. People over 80 and the elderly in retirement homes will continue. Then another two million will come: health operators led by doctors and nurses.

At the end of 2021, the task of strengthening the immune system of Italians will reach its peak, in January it will be the turn to give the third dose to people over 65 years of age.

In September, a new critical moment is experienced. By the end of the month you should arrive 80% of those vaccinated over 12 years old, objective proclaimed at the start of the massive inoculation campaign for the two doses, in particular at Pfizer and Moderna. Everything indicates that it will be reached on Thursday 30. Today the percentage of vaccinated over 12 years old is 76.8%.

As for the total population of 60 million inhabitants, it reached 41 million vaccinated with the two doses on Monday.

With these concentrated objectives, it is expected that next fall will begin this Tuesday 21 with the first colds, don’t become the nightmare last year, when at the end of September spread two waves, the second and the third of the virus, which killed a large number of people.

The problem is, this summer was ruined by an unexpected fourth wave, hand in hand with the Delta variant, with high contagion power and viral load. But so far, the dreaded variant, which came from India, has not caused the devastation that was feared, thanks to the mass vaccination of the majority of the population.

As of Monday, 2,407 infections and 44 deaths were recorded, reaching a total of 13,200 deaths.

Vaccinations, which picked up the pace lost in part during the summer, thanks to the extension to almost the entire population of the Health Passport, received a new boost with the third dose which began on Monday. throughout Italy.

Studies

Studies in Israel and the United States found that after four months after inoculation of the first doses, in the case of Pzifer, the vaccine’s effectiveness increased from 91% to 77%. Moderna held up better: from 93%, it fell to 92%. Both achieved splendid results exceeding 90% for hospitalizations and intensive therapy, reducing the worsening of patients by 90%.

Moderna has proven the best vaccine with a defense of the immune system three times that of Pfizer. So far, 60 million Italians have been vaccinated with Pfizer and 10 million with Moderna, also American. Both achieved efficacy levels of 93.1% in hospital admissions and 95.4% in intensive therapy.

In Israel, the Ministry of Health reported a “significant benefit in the immune response” with the third booster dose. The government has decided to extend the third booster dose to everyone.

The American scientific committee which works with the FDA, (the body which studies and decides on the effectiveness of drugs and foods) has put an end to the vaccine fury of the third dose. He said he should be vaccinated up to the 65-year-old level. And then he put the STOP. New studies will determine if miners need to boost their immune systems.

The United States, Britain, Germany, France and Spain have third dose plans in place.

In Italy, there is no clear sign of a decline in vaccine effectiveness, as has happened in Israel and the United States. In short, if it is clear that the number of infected can be high, but the reduction in hospitalizations is notable, occupancy of intensive therapy and deaths, thanks to the increasing percentage of people immunized with vaccines.

All vaccines have an efficacy that tends to weaken over time. In some it happens quickly, in others it does not. This is why the main vaccines provide three supplies. Decades of studies have shown that it is with the three doses that the efficacy already demonstrated with the first two stabilizes.

Virologist Carlo Perno underlined that vaccinations in children such as anti-polio, anti-tetanus, anti-diphtheria and anti-measles are part of this logic “which makes it possible to strengthen the antibody response”.

Against influenza the frequency is annual. “It’s that influential viruses change every year. The vaccine is not a new dose of a substance already manufactured, it is always a first vaccination against a new virus ”.

Be ruthless and kill

The scientist pointed out that Sars Cov-2, the coronavirus, “has biological characteristics which allow it to be eradicatedA bit like it was with measles and it will be with polio. This will also happen with measles thanks to the vaccination program. “

He added that “the fundamental criterion is to achieve reduce repetitions to near zero. If within a year we will not have vaccinated everyone, we will most likely have endemic disease, that is, low-medium speed circulation of the virus. If we vaccinate everyone, the virus will be eradicated, it will no longer exist. Against Sars Cov-2, we must be ruthless and kill him “.

Virologist Perno stresses the importance of masks. “Since restrictions were lifted in Rome and masks were allowed not to be used in the open, other respiratory viruses have reappeared, which have not circulated for a year and a half.”

The chin strap, essential

“The mask is a device that has extraordinary efficiency and helps reduce the circulation of Sars and so many other respiratory viruses. Especially in closed environments. In this phase of the global pandemic, there are still an inalienable instrument.“

October will be a critical month, because we are in September, because on the 15th, the compulsory use of the Health Passport begins in the workplace. The government announced the arrival of the green card for public and private workers. In total 15 million people.

But immediately, aware that a giant step had been taken to in fact impose the obligation of the vaccine without proclaiming it, Prime Minister Mario Draghi took advantage of the general consensus in favor of the use of the Health Passport to extend its compulsory nature. In practice.

Currently, marginal numbers are being left out. Five million people.

This reality has caused a boom in the stock of puncture laggards, who show up in the 2,850 vaccination centers to receive their first dose.

From October 15, the green pass will be compulsory for all workers, including the self-employed, but not to the whole population. All those who guarantee the functioning of the services will also be obliged: in bars, restaurants, shops, cinemas, theaters, cultural centers, sporting activities.

The goal is that all those who ask for the pass to those who use these services, are in turn vaccinated.

Also they taxi drivers, housekeepers, millions of caregivers elderly people in Italy, coming from Eastern European countries, must obtain a Health Passport.

The green pass has become the government’s biggest weapon to restart vaccinations at their most critical moment. A fearful, ignorant and questionable minority is influenced by the campaigns of aggressively active “no vac” movements.

The “no vacuum cleaner”

With sometimes delusional arguments, such as saying that vaccines do not work, that they are secret maneuvers to inoculate up to technology chips To the people, non-vacant arguments are propagated through social networks.

The overwhelming majority of patients in hospitals and intensive care units they are unvaccinated people. Some of them are so aggressive towards doctors and nurses that they force the functioning of psychological support services for health workers.

No vacuum cleaners are sworn enemies of the Health Passport. Violation of its rules results in fines of between 400 and 1200 euros. Workers who fail to present them risk being suspended from their duties. But at the request of the unions, there is no danger of dismissal: the employment relationship is maintained with the suspension until the December 31, date of the end of the state of emergency declared since the start of the pandemic.

Rome, correspondent

ap