Vaccines, boom in signatures against the abolition of the obligation: today almost five thousand

The petition, launched last July 6 by Dr. Rocco Russo (Sip), has currently totaled 7,689 signatures

ROME – Today alone, 4,622 people signed the petition launched by Doctor Rocco Russo, head of the technical vaccination table of the Italian Society of Paediatrics (SIP), to maintain the law on compulsory vaccination for access to school. The petition, launched last July 6, has currently totaled 7,689 signatures. The law – writes Russo, in presenting the petition -, with all the critical issues of the case, has proven to be a valid tool to increase the specific levels of vaccination coverage. As regards Measles, before the introduction of the same Law, the levels of vaccination coverage, within 24 months, for the 2014 cohort were 87.21%, while currently, within 24 months, for the 2020 cohort they are of 94.38% (this means that in our territory there are still 22,755 children under 24 months who are not protected against Measles).

If we analyze – specifies Russo – the vaccination coverage data in the 5-6 year age group (2015 birth cohort) we have approximately more than 73,000 children in our territory who do not appear to be adequately protected with a or two doses of Measles vaccine. If we analyze the vaccination coverage data in the 18 year age group (2004 cohort), it turns out to be even more alarming as in our territory there are more than 37,000 eighteen year olds who have not received the first dose of measles and more of 67,000 who did not receive the second dose of Measles. Obviously with these data, we are not at all surprised by the current epidemiological picture of our country from which it emerges that in the period from 01/01/2024 to 05/31/2024 alone, 556 cases of Measles were notified. From the above – concludes Russo -, considering what is reported in the Law itself, it appears clear that the criteria for the three-yearly evaluation of epidemiological data and vaccination coverage, aimed at eliminating the vaccination obligation itself, are absolutely not satisfied. Therefore, at the moment, there is no suspension of mandatory vaccination for measles.