(by Nicola Simonetti) Seasonal influence at the gates: let's close them to prevent it (expected "of medium intensity" but, not for this reason, lenient and not fearful) affect the expected 5 millions of Italians. The best way to escape it, is to constitute a protective barrier, a line of defense represented by the vaccination that - let's clarify it right away - is effective and free of significant risks and defends public health, avoids hospitalizations and premature deaths, realizes savings that can be reversed improve health care.
Influenza costs - it was communicated in Venice, at the XIX National Congress of the Italian Society of Pneumology - almost as much as a government maneuver: eleven billion euros, of which 8,6 billion euros borne by private citizens (half a point of GDP) on which absences from work (almost 220 euros per capita) and symptomatic drugs (27 euros a year) and 2,1 billion from the National Health Service weigh (for each patient, 62 euros). Flu vaccines would cost only 3 euros for the NHS and 2,4 euros for citizens.
But, despite vaccine means reduction of disease, discomfort, death, only 14% of the population is vaccinated and 60% has never vaccinated even if the 70% considers essential vaccination (of course that of others ... I, no).
However, those who consider vaccination useless, ineffective, even a source of damage, are ignorant on the subject. Nothing true. All denied by research and clinic.
The vaccines will be available in the offices of general practitioners and in pharmacies, free of charge for the categories at risk (chronically ill, elderly, pregnant women, immunosuppressed, blood donors, etc.). Alberto Villani, president of the Italian pediatric society hopes “that, also in Italy, a universal vaccine against influenza will be created for all children under 6 years of age. To protect infants under six months, however, parents and cohabitants and closest relatives must be vaccinated "
Recurrent influenza-like respiratory infections should also be considered, which are in the vast majority of cases of viral origin and affect during all 12 months, unlike the flu that occurs in a certain season (autumn-winter). “The expenditure related to working days lost due to flu and flu-like syndromes is not perceived by citizens, but it has a very significant impact on society. The direct and indirect costs of these diseases - says Stefano Nardini, president of the Italian Society of Neumology - are very high for Italian families and these data are very important because they force us to confront the need for prevention. Influenza and parainfluenza syndromes consume the resources of the NHS for the direct costs of caring for high-risk individuals, but drain a huge amount of money among the youngest for the indirect costs of lost productivity. Overall, this is an enormous outlay for the country: it is therefore certainly appropriate to re-evaluate the prevention strategies for the different age groups ”.
"Our data show - says Roberto Dal Negro, head of the National Center for Pharmacoeconomics and Respiratory Pharmacoepidemiology Studies of Verona who, in collaboration with Research & Clinical Governance of Verona and AdRes Health Economics and Outcome Research of Turin, carried out the research - that these diseases affect about 60% of the population and are very frequent: 52% have one episode a year, but 44% have 2 to 3 a year, and about 4% more than 3: for an average of 1.8 episodes / year. However, the cost of the drugs purchased to manage them is divided very differently between the State and citizens: the NHS spends around 16 euros, especially for antibiotics and corticosteroids, while families instead spend 27 euros on C-level medicines, which are fully paid for by the citizen and symptom management ".