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In approximately 6 months, the total doses destined for Italy should be sufficient to vaccinate approximately 18 million citizens. The number represents just under 30% of the Italian population. Although it is far from that required to achieve herd immunity, the percentage may appear substantial. If only according to the adviser of the Ministry of Health, Walter Ricciardi, immunity to the vaccine lasts only 5 months.
If so, those who receive the vaccine in the first phase of the vaccination campaign should receive it again before the summer.
Ricciardi, immunity to the vaccine lasts 5 months
“Over the next six months or so we will have doses of the vaccine for a significant part of the population, some 18 million Italians.”Professor Ricciardi told Adnkronos today.
On the same occasion, the minister’s advisor, Roberto Speranza, said about the duration of immunity: “We are monitoring and so far we know it will last about 5 months, it is verified if it will last longer”.
Healthcare professionals and the elderly who are receiving doses these days therefore in may they will need it again. And the other risk categories that will receive it in the next two months must repeat vaccination between June and July. The percentage of Italians who are immune in a given period of time, therefore, will be around much lower percentages.
Restrictive measures even after sending the vaccination campaign
This means, as has been repeated several times by the scientific community, that restrictive measures must be maintained. indeed at least for a good part of spring, and it is unlikely that in the fall we will have achieved herd immunity.
The fight against Covid-19 could get a boost with higher dose availability but, Ricciardi added, this hope hinges on the launch of the vaccine from AstraZenecaRicciardi added. In recent days, Ema, the European drug agency, has announced that the green light will probably not arrive before February 2021.
ISS report, Rt rises for three weeks in a row
The need to maintain “in time the line of rigor of the mitigation measures adopted” has been reiterated today in the report on the monitoring of the epidemiological situation of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
The pandemic, writes the ISS, remains severe and the Rt transmissibility index rose for the third consecutive week to 0.93.
