Brusaferro: "Viral circulation in Italy is lower than in other countries"

• Coronavirus.

  In Italy 5,117 new cases and 67 deaths.

  1.7% positivity rate

• Green pass for all workers, yes unanimous of the Council of Ministers to the decree

• ISS monitoring: the Rt index drops to 0.85, incidence of 54 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants

• In the US the virus runs and affects young people: third dose on the way

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17 September 2021 At this moment "the epidemiological situation sees Italy well placed: viral circulation is lower than in other countries, as the data show. This reflects two important elements: the maintenance of containment and protection measures, never abandoned even during the summer, and the fact of having reached good levels of vaccination coverage, even if it can be improved especially in the higher age groups ". This was stated by Sergio Brusaferro, president of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss), at the Amit congress (Topics of Infectious and Tropical Diseases) underway in Milan. "The last corner with the Delta variant is also decreasing this week," he added.

The data on vaccination in the younger groups (12-19 years and 20-29) are very positive, "who in a very short time have reached significant coverage of 78-79% with the first dose between 20 and 29 years, and the same thing it is happening between 12 and 19 years, with the first dose 63%. It is a growing figure, a message of hope, "said Brusaferro. Young people are "attentive and aware of vaccination, even if they have a lower impact on mortality and the probability of hospitalization in intensive care - he added - What happens in this age group contributes decisively to the circulation of the virus. Now we all look carefully at schools, because we want them to remain in attendance. "

As for the third dose of the anti-Covid vaccine, "it is necessary to act also with the support of scientific research. Then it is a question of understanding if and when to do it, to which categories, also in light of the emerging data. Israel recommends it, but other data tells us that we need some more reflection. We are making these assessments, so I would still be cautious in saying if and when to do it, we are acquiring knowledge ", specified the president of the Higher Institute of Health. When asked about the opportunity to give the third dose now also to health workers, Brusaferro specified that at present there are no scientific data "on what the protective antibody threshold is. In a more general perspective, the health worker is a relevant figure,very exposed to the virus and which can also carry the infection. In perspective, therefore, health workers, as well as elderly guests in RSAs or long-term care facilities, must be carefully evaluated. They have a higher priority than others for high immune coverage. It is a matter on the agenda of ISS, the Ministry of Health and the other institutions involved. "Brusaferro concluded by underlining how" today we are in a situation in which, thanks to vaccinations, we can imagine a strategy to control the circulation of the virus SarsCov2 characterized by 2 phenomena: push vaccination to the maximum to cover the audience of young people who go to school and university, and on the other hand, promote the vaccine in the older age groups,that in the autumn phase risk the most serious complications ".

"Even in the pandemic period it is right to continue to focus attention on the issue of safety of care, which has become one of the cornerstones of the management of health systems, said the president of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Iss), Silvio Brusaferro, during the conference. organized by the Ministry of Health on the occasion of the National Day for the safety of care and patients, which is celebrated today in Italy in conjunction with the World Patients Safety Day dedicated, this year, to safe maternal and neonatal assistance. remembered, "we have a law of 2017, the Gelli law, which established a very important principle, namely the fact that our country recognizes the safety of care as a constitutive part of the right to health. If we look at the epidemic we are experiencing,this standard describes exactly the main axes that also guide us in managing the pandemic ".