Italy begins administering COVID vaccine booster shots to people over 60

Italy has started giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shot to adults over the age of 60 on Saturday. The administering of shots came into action after the process was approved by the Italian Health Ministry. The decision was taken following the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave its approval earlier in the month, stating that the booster shot may be recommended for all individuals over the age of 18, after six months gap from their second dosage. Citing the Italian ministry, ANI reported, “In the light of EMA's latest deliberation, we can go ahead with the third vaccine dose to people of all ages with a fragile immune system and to all people over 60, always six months after the second dose." 

Earlier, Italy began providing the third doses of Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccinations to immuno-compromised persons who were transplant patients or suffering from cancer, senior citizens over the age of 80 and inhabitants in care homes, as well as healthcare professionals, in late September. As coronavirus vaccination is highly suggested but not obligatory in Italy, thus, the third dosage would be provided as a choice. 

COVID condition in Italy is 'under control'

Furthermore, as per the current weekly assessment by the country's National Health Institute (ISS) which was revised on October 3, the COVID-19 pandemic situation seemed to be "under control," as well as the trajectory of coronavirus cases continued to decline steadily. The rate of occurrence was 34 cases per 100,000 people.  Giovanni Rezza, the Director of the ISS's Infectious Diseases Department revealed that the statistics on hospital bed availability was also positive, indicating less admission of people with the disease. 

Rezza said in a video statement, “We register a 4.9 percent and 4.2 percent of bed occupancy in normal COVID-19 wards and intensive care units, respectively, which is well below the critical thresholds," ANI reported. According to the nation's official figures, the vaccination program in Italy has achieved 79.9% of the target population over the age of 12, with almost 43 million individuals fully vaccinated. 

However, as per the Wanted in Rome website, The Italian government stated that nearly 8.4 million individuals in Italy which comprises 15% of the vaccine-eligible citizens over the age of 12, have yet to obtain the first covid injection. According to the figures given by General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, Italy's coronavirus commissioner, there are still 2.9 million unvaccinated adults over the age of 50 left to be vaccinated, while, 3.9 million unvaccinated individuals aged 20 to 49, as well as 1.4 million unvaccinated children aged 12 to 19. 

Meanwhile, the latest COVID numbers provided by the Worldometer suggest that the total number of confirmed viral cases in Italy is 4,698,038, whereas the total number of fatalities due to COVID-19 is 131,274. More than 4,481,462 have been recovered from the disease. The number of active cases in the nation is 85,302, with 367 in critical condition.      

(Image: AP)