Vaccinarsi in Sardegna

Integrated influenza surveillance is based on a network of sentinel physicians consisting of General Practitioners (GPs) and Pediatricians of Choice (PFCs), recruited by the regions, who report cases of influenza-like syndrome (ILI) observed among their patients. Sentinel physicians (SENTINEL stream) and other physicians working in the territory (NON-SENTINEL stream) and in hospitals (HOSPITAL stream) also collaborate in the collection of biological samples for the identification of circulating viruses.

Virological investigations on collected biological samples are performed by Laboratories that are part of the InfluNet Network (now called RespiVirNet) and the National Influenza Center (NIC) of the ISS. The NIC provides virological data processing at the national level and produces a weekly report, which is published on the Ministry of Health website.

Specifically, the following table (excerpt from the latest RespiVirNet report) shows the total incidence of flu-like syndromes observed in all Italian regions during the surveillance weeks of the 2023/2024 season.

The incidence was categorized into five classes and each category was assigned a different color indicating the intensity of the incidence. With regard to the region of Sardinia, the initial period of low incidence, which lasted until the second half of December 2023, was followed by an increase in cases with the start of the new year, and in the last week of reporting exceeded 19.94 cases per 1,000 treated.

This is certainly an alarming figure considering that there have been more than one million cases of illness from respiratory viruses recorded in Italy in the 2023/2024 flu season, of which, more than one third are caused by influenza viruses.

Moreover, due to the flu, the pressure on hospitals shows no sign of abating with Accident and Emergency departments literally under siege. In fact, in the last few days the number of flu-related emergency room admissions has risen alarmingly with increases of up to 20-30% on total admissions. The greatest risk, as is frequently the case, is for the elderly and frail individuals with severe symptomatic clinical pictures who flock to emergency facilities often expecting to be admitted.

According to data from sentinel hospitals of the Italian Federation of Health Authorities and Hospitals (FIASO), the recorded forms are particularly severe and aggressive although it is not yet entirely clear whether this severity of symptoms is due to a decline in immunity to influenza viruses after two years of pandemic or to more aggressive viral variants.

To prevent infection, it is undoubtedly important to observe good respiratory hygiene and regular hand washing. However, the only real effective measure to prevent influenza or to prevent its severe forms is vaccination. Despite this, as of today, vaccination coverage among the over-65s is stationary at 45 percent, a figure that is a far cry from the minimum targets recommended by the Ministry of Health (75 percent) and from the 56.7 percent coverage recorded for the same cohort last year, as shown in the image below extracted from "Elaborations of the Ministry of Health - Higher Institute of Health, based on summaries sent by Regions and Autonomous Provinces - July 20, 2023."

In this circumstance, VaccinarSinSardegna.org reminds users that vaccination is recommended at any time, even at a late stage of the flu season, as such, users are encouraged to go their nearest vaccination hub to be vaccinated.

Stay tuned to our website so as not to miss upcoming updates.