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“We cannot say when or if it will arrive.” “Nothing yet”. “We don’t know anything about it.” “Mystery of faith”. Two weeks of campaign anti-flu, the great absent is precisely the vaccine. Everywhere, government, ministers and experts suggest guarding against classical influence to avoid unpleasant ties with COVID-19. But it is not yet possible to reserve it in the pharmacy sales networks. “They said they started in October, but production has been withdrawn from the public side and the doses have not yet been sent to us,” whispers a Milanese pharmacist. “And this is not the right year to be late.”
Two days ago the State Conference –Regions reached an agreement to buy 17 million doses compared to 10 million last year. The goal is to ease hospital overload and avoid “confounding symptoms,” thus preventing millions of people from asking for a tampon only to discover that the fever is to blame for the trivial flu. Minister Speranza said it in July: “This year will be more important than the others” since “the symptoms of the coronavirus are similar.” This is demonstrated by the chronicle of the tragic days of March. And the dramatic story of Giovanni, not yet told and contained in the “Coronavirus Black Book. Background and secrets of the pandemic that shocked Italy“(Published by Historical editions and early October). In mid-February, in Codogno, Giovanni begins to experience the first headaches. Two days later the fever arrives and he decides to be examined by general practitioner. “I have the flu,” he says. But the doctor explains that other patients also came to the clinic and that, despite having received the flu vaccine, they have the same symptoms. Nobody thinks about Covid at that time. Could it be that the antidote didn’t work? A few days later, Giovanni got worse. And dies.
But today things have changed. GPs know that Covid is circulating. Here because get vaccinated It can be helpful: If a person who has had the flu shows the same symptoms, it will be easier to suspect a coronavirus infection. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has decided to expand the audience of those who will receive it for free: everyone over 60 (and not 65, as in the past), people with certain pathologies and essential workers such as doctors and law enforcement officers. The problem is that the fear of the Regions to run out of vaccines for fragile subjects runs the risk of cutting off the millions of people that do not fall into these categories. Those who today not only cannot receive the vaccine for free, but cannot even buy it.
Of the 17 million dose treasured by the Regions, in fact, only 250 thousand (1.5%) have been reserved for pharmacies and therefore can be purchased by individuals. “If you do the math – a doctor tells us – make 13 vials at the pharmacy.” Of course, much will depend on the choices of the individual regions, which could increase the participation of individuals. But we are still far from the levels of the past. “Normally we asked for 200 at the beginning of the season – they tell Cernusco sul Naviglio – but now the regions have taken all the vials: it’s ridiculous.” Try to reserve them or even talk about them – no one can sell products they don’t have in stock. According to the stories of Federico Gelli, president of the Italia in Salute Foundation, “the usual need for anti-flu drugs bought by citizens in pharmacies is 800 thousand doses”. Triple those currently available, even if Federfarma, Fofi and Assofarm estimate post-Covid demand even between 1.2 and 1.5 million. The result will be a battle to the death between workers, children, adolescents. Schools ask parents to vaccinate their children. Pediatricians and family doctors advise the same. And workers would like to protect themselves to avoid overlapping diagnoses (and unnecessary quarantines). But how to do it? “You try to call every day – the pharmacies suggest to customers – we cannot guarantee anything, but you know how it works: the sooner you arrive, the better you stay”. The effects are paradoxical: in the year of COVID-19In fact, not only could it not increase the number of people vaccinated (as is desirable), but to date pharmacies could not even meet the requests of those who normally get vaccinated. “It is inconsistent to sensitize the public about a good practice and then not allow it to be followed,” says the president of Farmacieunite. Franco Gariboldi Muschietti. How to blame him?
Meanwhile, autumn is coming. the ministry he had asked for all proceedings to be brought forward by early October. But time is running out, both for those who receive the free vaccine from local health authorities and for everyone else. Some parents heard of Giornale.it, they say they have asked pediatricians for information without receiving a response. “They didn’t even give them to them and they don’t know anything either,” they explain in pharmacies. “The situation is alarming. We are in limbo and this angers us. In a particular year like this, they had to be faster. ” Not to mention, however, that concentration of doses in the hands of local health authorities runs the risk of slowing down times. “There will be endless lines – says one pharmacist in Milan – Wouldn’t it have been better to take advantage of the 16,000 pharmacies spread across Italy? ”. Lazio is thinking about it and has asked the CTS if pharmacists can administer the vaccine directly. But a bit ‘everywhere, the initiates remain skeptical: “Maybe something will change, but I doubt it.” Wait and have hope.
