Third dose, Ricciardi: “From January for everyone and green pass to be corrected over time”

Third dose for all Italians starting from January – or in any case in the first quarter of 2022 depending on the respective deadlines – and progressive marginalization of rapid antigen swab as a test useful for obtaining the green pass to work or access social places. These are the two points on which he insists Walter Ricciardi, professor of Hygiene and preventive medicine at the Cattolica in Milan and advisor to the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza. On the second point, the former president of the Higher Institute of Health (a position he held until 2018) explained to Agora on Rai3 that «the antigenic pad it has 30% false negatives and gives a false sense of security, especially with the Delta variant. If you enter a place where there are susceptible people with a false negative test, infection occurs“. To read his words against the light, which usually anticipate by a long time the decisions that are then taken by the ministry, perhaps in partially different formulas but in any case on the same line, changes are to be expected in the coming months: “With the passing of of the time you will have to think about correction of the green pass».

The priority, as Andrea Cristanti also reiterates, must be given to third doses (or rather, to the calls). According to Ricciardi, time a couple of months and the call will be open to all those expiring, that is, with the second dose carried out for at least six months: «We started with the most fragile people but, little by little in 2022, we must cover everyone, because Israel it taught us that revaccinating the whole population stops this fourth wave which unfortunately has begun. When the six months from the second dose of the vast majority of Italians expire between January-February-March, it will be necessary to reactivate mass vaccination with the help of general practitioners and vaccination centers ”. In short, be careful to dismantle the network of vaccination hubs because we will soon have to start all over again, even if with only one dose.

Also according to colleague Crisanti, who he spoke with The print, you have to put the turbo on the third doses, going back to explaining to the Italians that it is not known if there will be a fourth one and that the vaccination process is made up of many stages: “At this point, whoever had to be vaccinated did it, so I allow myself a heretical thought: it is not worth wasting time , energies and taking a political risk behind the diehards. Let’s focus on the third doses to strengthen the audience of vaccinated. Otherwise, the fear is that the transmission of the virus will resume. It is also an indirect way of protecting the unvaccinated ». The ministry, on the other hand, is convinced that the hard core of about 7 million Italians over 12 who have not yet been vaccinated should be reduced as much as possible.

“At this moment it does not seem to me that the parameters for the yellow areas have been exceeded, the control room will check, but the trend is worsening and all the more reason we must accelerate vaccinations, third doses and we must continue to be wise and cautious in our behavior »added Ricciardi on the slowly deteriorating picture in the coming weeks.

The scenario of the fourth wave, which we have analyzed in detail, does not leave too much room for variations on the theme: increase first doses, speed up thirds, maintain precautionary measures in all cases where it is possible, behave with common sense in a war of odds against the infection. And maybe increase the checks on green certificates. Helped byexcellent level of vaccination coverage, among the highest in the West: a result that should not be overshadowed by the not indifferent ma absolutely minority portion of those who resist the vaccine: “We have excellent vaccination coverage and this is protecting us from a disproportionate increase that is taking place in Germany, in Austria, let’s not talk about Eastern Europe, which is experiencing the worst moment since the beginning of the pandemic, and the rate of mortality in Romania which is 35 times that of Italy. We, however, have about 7 million citizens who are not yet vaccinated, so the goal of the autumn-winter is to vaccinate these people and, as Israel taught us, to re-protect the population with a booster dose ».

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