Covid-19, green light for vaccines updated as a fourth dose for over 12s

A circular signed by the Higher Council of Health, the Higher Institute of Health, the Italian Medicines Agency and the Ministry of Health, clarifies the fourth dose of vaccine against Covid-19.

Nello specificin the circular it is recommended primarily the use of the formulations of bivalent m-RNA vaccines:

• how second booster dose in favour of all persons aged ≥ 60 yearsi, of people with high frailty motivated by concomitant / pre-existing pathologies aged ≥ 12 years, of health workers, guests and operators of residential structures and pregnant women, in the manner and timing provided for the same;
• how second booster doseupon evaluation and specialist clinical judgment, to subjects with marked impairment of the immune response, for causes related to the underlying disease or pharmacological treatments and to subjects undergoing haematopoietic or solid organ transplantation (Annex 2), who have already received a primary course of three doses (standard primary cycle plus additional dose at least 28 days after the last dose) and a subsequent first booster dose, at least 120 days after the last dose;
• how first booster dosein the manner and timing provided for the same, in favor of subjects aged ≥ 12 years who have not yet received it, regardless of the vaccine used to complete the primary course.

“Following the authorization by Ema and Aifa of the original / BA.4-5 bivalent formulation of the Comirnaty vaccine, two bivalent formulations of vaccines are now available as part of the anti-SARSCoV-2 / COVID-19 vaccination campaign to m-RNA (original / omicron BA.1 by Spikevax and Comirnaty, and original / BA.4-5 by Comirnaty). As specified by the Cts of Aifa, at the moment, there is no evidence to be able to express a judgment of preferential use of one of the different bivalent vaccines available todaybelieving that everyone can expand protection against different variants and can help maintain optimal protection against Covid-19 disease”

Vaccines against COVID-19 updated to the sub-variants Omicron 1 and Omicron 4-5 “taking into account the indication of use authorized by Ema and Aifa, they may, in any case, be made available on request of the interested party, as a second booster dose, for the vaccination of subjects at least 12 years of agewho have already received the first booster dose for at least 120 days “