Vaccination against meningitis is an important step to take for the health of the community
Vaccination against meningitis: an important step to take for the health of the community
The cases of meningitis that are occurring have led to an understandable social alarm and many parents and users, including adults, go to the vaccination offices of the ASL Roma 4 asking for advice.
First of all, it should be clarified that there is no epidemic going on in Tuscany. Meningitis is an endemic disease in Italy, i.e. it is normally present and occurs with a relatively constant frequency (about 1.400 cases the year). In Tuscany there is an unusually higher level of endemia compared to the rest of Italy. In practical terms it means that we have a bit ’ more than cases of how predictable it was.
Unfortunately, being meningitis a serious illness, there were also deaths.
C ’ it must also be said that meningitis can be determined by several different pathogens and not all equally contagious or dangerous.
Most cases occurred in Tuscany are linked to meningococcus C, a germ against which a vaccine is available that is offered for free in early childhood in all of Italy; In fact, the disease is mainly affecting unvaccinated adults.
For this reason, the Tuscany Region has extended free vaccination to adults, going to vaccinate 30% of the general population.
Because then cases continue to occur? The reason is that to block such infection it is necessary to vaccinate 70-80% of the population.
What is the situation in our area?
Even if it may seem strange a few kilometers away, in Lazio, and in particular in the ASL Roma 4, no c ’ it is any concrete health alarm signal even if the request for antimincite vaccinations has increased a lot in recent times. The ASL Roma 4 Company provides all existing vaccines against meningitis and vaccinations can be regularly performed in any of the 15 active vaccination clinics, which are connected to each other.
The vaccination covers of childhood in the territory of the ASL Rome 4 are very high and this is the best defense that can be activated against the spread of infectious diseases of this type.
The vaccines that can be performed at the vaccine clinics of the ASL Roma 4 are as follows:
- ELEMENTINGITE C – recommended for all ages, free
- ACWY antimigiets- recommended in particular in adolescence and international travelers
- B- B- recommended in particular for the newborn and teenager
- Anti Haemophilus Influentiae B- recommended for babies (it is part of the hexavalent vaccine) free
- Antipneumococcocco- recommended for babies, the elderly and people with chronic-free pathologies
Making the vaccination against meningitis is an important step to protect their health and that of our children from a disease that can cause permanent physical and neurological damage and in the most serious cases cause death. The health of the community also passes from the responsibility of each individual in making a simple and effective protective gesture.
