Locatelli: "With Omicron faster infections, we will understand if it eludes vaccines"

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November 28, 2021 "Rapid spread, but we do not know if it is capable of causing a serious disease. The vaccine, now more than ever, remains fundamental, together with the use of a mask". Franco Locatelli thus describes - in an interview with Corriere della sera - the Omicron variant, identified in the countries of southern Africa and already landed in Europe as well. Can you escape vaccines? "The crucial question is: the presence of mutations in regions of the spike protein recognized by antibodies or lymphocyte T cells could partially reduce the efficacy of vaccines. However, only further evaluations will give us an evidence-based answer."

"It is not clear to date - he continued - whether this strain will have a greater ability to cause serious disease. But attention must be kept at the highest level and Minister Speranza first did well, then followed by the other EU Ministers, to promptly interrupt accesses and flights from the 8 countries that have been hit ".

"So now, more than before, we need to be careful. Italy's more favorable situation than before

that of almost all the other European countries is due to the large percentage of completely immunized subjects - underlines the CTS coordinator - In the lower-risk age group, that is, between 12 and 59 years, in the last month, 23 of the almost 46 million vaccinated people were hospitalized in intensive care compared to 179 of the 6.5 million unvaccinated. Even the non-pharmacological preventive measures have made an important contribution: keeping the use of masks indoors, as well as in all situations in which gatherings can be created outdoors. On the metro and buses, where crowds are greatest, use FFP2 devices. "

Locatelli then illustrated the timing for vaccines for younger children: "They should be offered vaccination to protect their health, to facilitate their school attendance and to protect social activities. Pediatric vaccines will be available a few days before Christmas and we will proceed with a dosage that is equal to one third of that of adults by administering two doses three weeks apart ". And he reiterates: more than the reduction of the reproduction index Rt "the real reason for vaccinating them is to protect the health of children".

Finally, Locatelli foreshadows a squeeze on the efficacy of swabs to obtain the green pass: "We know the limits of antigenic tests, they have a reduced sensitivity. The decision to keep the validity times of the results with antigenic and molecular tests unchanged is consistent with the current scenario but can be revised should the situation worsen ".