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COVID-19 VACCINES

KEY POINTS: How will Italy enforce its vaccine mandate for over-50s?

Italy has made it compulsory for all over-50s to get vaccinated. Here’s what we know about how it will enforce the requirement.

Vaccines are now mandatory for over-50s in Italy.
Vaccines are now mandatory for over-50s in Italy. Tiziana FABI / AFP

Who’s subject to the mandate?

Everyone currently aged 50 and over in Italy, as well as anyone due to turn 50 by June 15, 2022, is now required to get a Covid vaccine.

The text of the decree, which was published in Italy’s Official Gazette on January 7th, is explicit that the rules apply to all those resident in Italy – not just Italian citizens.

The sanction applies not just with regard to first doses, but also for anyone who as of February 1st has failed to complete their primary vaccination cycle ‘in accordance with the instructions and within the time provided by circular of the Ministry of Health’ or get their booster dose within the time frame stipulated in a decree issued on April 21, 2021 and updated on June 17, 2021, the decree says.

According to the news daily il Quotidiano, that means that anyone in the age bracket who has gone more than six months since receiving their last shot would be in violation of the mandate – even if they have completed the primary vaccination cycle.

Why is Italy targeting the over-50s?

The latest records from the national statistics agency Istat show that 28 million people in Italy out of a total of 59 million residents – almost half the population – are over the age of 50.

Whilst Italy has one of highest Covid vaccination rates in Europe (74 percent are fully jabbed) it’s estimated that around 2.3 million people aged over 50 in the country have still not had a single dose.

There have also been plenty of reports in Italian media of how unvaccinated Covid patients are ending up in hospital intensive care wards.

In recent days the country has seen record highs in its Covid infection rates, with over 196,000 new cases recorded on Wednesday. Pressure on hospitals is mounting, and the majority of those hospitalised due to Covid are unvaccinated and over 50. 

READ ALSO: Italy to make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for over 50s

By introducing the mandate, the government hopes to avoid overwhelming healthcare facilities and keep the country open as people return from their Christmas holidays and schools start up again.

“We are working in particular on the age groups that are most at risk of being hospitalised, to reduce pressure on hospital to save lives,” said prime minister Mario Draghi at the cabinet meeting where the measure was adopted.

READ ALSO : Italian hospitals inundated with Covid patients

When does the rule take effect?

Those who fall into the age bracket are required to get vaccinated from the day after the decree’s publication in the Official Gazette. As the decree was published on January 7th, the mandate came into force on January 8th.

To allow people time to book an appointment, sanctions won’t apply until February 1st.

From February 15th, workers aged 50 and over will need to produce a ‘super green pass’, which shows the bearer is vaccinated against or recently recovered from Covid, to enter their workplace.

A health worker administers a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
An individual receives the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on August 5, 2021 at the Ambreck pharmacy in Milan. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)

Are there any exemptions?

Cases where the Covid vaccine would pose an “established danger to health, in relation to specific documented clinical conditions, certified by a doctor” are exempted from the requirement to get vaccinated.

In addition, any over-50s who can prove they have recovered from Covid in the past six months will be able to go to work using their ‘super green pass’ without having had the vaccine. Once that six month period is up, however, employees will require a vaccine to have their green pass extended so they can continue going to work.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What’s in Italy’s latest Covid decree?

What are the penalties for refusing to get vaccinated?

Employees over 50 caught in their workplace without the super green pass are subject to fines of between 600 and 1500 euros.

Those barred from entering the workplace because they don’t have a pass can’t be fired, but will be marked as absent without leave and will have their pay frozen until they can produce the pass and resume their employment.

Aside from these worker-specific penalties, the decree states that anyone living in Italy over the age of 50 who is found to be unvaccinated by February 1st will be fined 100 euros.

How are the authorities going to check?

As far as workplaces are concerned, it’s the responsibility of employers to ensure their staff are complying with Covid restrictions. 

Employers that fail to do so face fines of between 400 and 1,000 euros. All workplaces are subject to periodic checks by police to determine whether the rules are being enforced.

As for 100 euro fines for unvaccinated residents over the age of 50, the decree states that the sanction “shall be carried out by the Ministry of Health through the Inland Revenue-Recovery Agency (…) by acquiring data made available by the Health Card System.”

Those who the Italian health system has registered as unvaccinated will be notified and have ten days to communicate to their local health authority the reason why they’re not vaccinated, the decree says.

Member comments

  1. its a nightmare to get a vaccine here in the south Capaccio , the first jab last year I stood in a queue for five hours , the second wasnt too bad , around two hours then last week monday 27th dec I waited in a long queue for hours to be told they had run out of vaccine and to come back on monday jan 3rd Which I did , they opened at 15.00 I arrived at 13.00 and there was already a queue , although I was no 6 and they opened at 15.00 I didnt actually get jabbed until 16.27 . there were many people behind me and I doubt they all got a jab , probably waiting many hours I am 72 years old and view myself as fit and healthy , there were many others who should not have been put through that torture of waiting for hours in the cold , they obviously had ailments , the next jab day is friday 7th open at 15.00 hours , the staff seem to be working really hard , its the organisation . I feel that given how the virus is rising so quickly the vaccine centres should be open more through the week and with more vaccine to go round .

  2. We have sovereign rights as human beings. They cannot lawfully enforce this. The data you have quoted is just fear-mongering. How exactly can they distinguish between the alleged different strains of the virus, what test do they use now that the PCR has finally been recognised by the CDC as being unable to tell the difference between the seasonal flu and Covid 19. How many people have died from the Omicron variant and what is the ration of vaxxed to unvaxxed for these deaths? Filter in how many of the unvaxxed deaths are actually vaxxed people who have been vaxxed for under 2 weeks, or 3 weeks, etc. Data is being manipulated to manipulate people.
    Instead of simply pushing government propaganda do some real, useful and informative research and give your readers an more critical and balanced viewpoint.

    1. Was this really a comment from the magazine? I am vaccinated but appaulled by the herassment of those who choose not to. Who are we going after next, fat people because they take up so much hospital resources year after year? It is shameful how the world has gone into hysteria. Rememer, average age for deaths in corona, well over 80 years. If you are not very old or in a risk group, corona is not a dangerous disease and finally we who are vaccinated are almost as contageous as the un vaccinated. Health is so much more than corona. With all this said, if you are in a risk group it is a very very good idea to get the vaccine.

      1. Thank you for your measured response, it gives me hope in humanity.
        I sincerely wish that I am wrong about the real purpose of the vaccine and that peoples’ health will not continue to suffer because of it.

      2. I agree completely. This comment from the local is disgusting. I remember the last time a group of people were rounded up, vilified and sent to camps. I thought that we’d learnt our lesson from history, but people seem to have been gripped by mass hysteria egged on by governments and mainstream media with sensible science ignored.

      3. Hi We can assure you this comment was not made by a journalist at The Local but by a reader. We have contacted them to change their alias and warned them about their comment. Kind regards. Ben

      1. Hi Malvin, We can assure you this comment was not made by a journalist at The Local but by a reader. We have contacted them to change their alias and warned them about their comment. Kind regards. Ben

  3. Did that comment originate from the Local or from someone too spineless/ashamed to be named? What a disgusting fascist comment. You are obviously too stupid or brainwashed to see that this has nothing to do with health. None of these measures have any effect on slowing the virus – just look at ‘the elephant in the room’ that is Sweden. You are being lied to by your government – it is tragic to see this happen to such a beautiful country

    1. Hi We can assure you this comment was not made by a journalist at The Local but by a reader. We have contacted them to change their alias and warned them about their comment. Kind regards. Ben

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For members

COVID-19 VACCINES

How to get a Covid booster jab in Italy this autumn

Italy's autumn Covid vaccine booster campaign is now underway, along with its seasonal flu jabs rollout.

How to get a Covid booster jab in Italy this autumn

The updated Covid vaccine is now available across Italy’s regions, with over nine million doses due to arrive in the country by the end of November.

The first jabs were available in some regions from the start of October: Lazio started its campaign on Monday, October 2nd, while Friuli Venezia Giulia’s launched a few days earlier on September 29th.

As healthcare is managed on a regional level in Italy, each region has its own start date and booking procedure.

The boosters are particularly recommended for over-60s, those who are immunosuppressed or pregnant, and healthcare workers, though jabs may be available to others on request.

The campaign aims to prevent a seasonal spike in infections, with vaccines targeting the new Eris variant as well as new winter flu viruses.

Which vaccines are available?

According to the latest health ministry circular, the government’s Covid booster campaign uses Pfizer and BioNTech’s monovalent Comirnaty vaccine targeting Omicron XBB 1.5, otherwise known as Kraken.

The European Medicines Agency has said the vaccine is also effective against other variants including Eris (EG.5.1), which as of late September had become the dominant strain in Italy at 43.5 percent, according to ISS data.

“Eris is one of the viral forms we are seeing and I am pleased to announce that the latest approved vaccines also protect against variants in circulation, including Eris,” EMA director Emer Cooke reportedly said in a recent press conference on respiratory diseases.

The EMA has said the vaccine is effective against new variants.

The EMA has said the vaccine is effective against new variants. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP.

Who are they for?

The health ministry says the campaign is particularly aimed at the following groups:

  • Over-60s
  • Residents of care facilities
  • People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Health and social care workers
  • People of any age with underlying health conditions

Vaccines are also recommended for caregivers, family members, and anyone who lives with a medically vulnerable person.

Anyone who doesn’t fall into any of these these categories but would still like to get a Covid booster can access one on request, subject to availability.

Administration of the booster is recommend six months from the last dose or from the last known Covid infection (as confirmed by testing).

A single dose of the adapted vaccine is also recommended for those who have not yet received any Covid vaccines. For children aged six months to four years who have not yet been vaccinated or infected with Covid, three doses are recommended, each several weeks apart.

How to get the booster

Your first step should be to visit the government’s vaccine booking website and see how the campaign is being conducted in your region (under ‘Prenota vaccino’).

Italy’s healthcare system operates on a regional rather than a national level, so getting a booster in Emilia-Romagna will be a different process to getting one in Lombardy.

In Lazio, for example, priority will be awarded in the first instance to health and social care workers and residents of care homes. The vaccine will be offered to over-80s and the medically vulnerable from October 16th, and other categories from October 30th.

If you can’t see the information you need on your regional authority’s website, it’s a good idea to contact your family doctor or local pharmacist to see what they can tell you about accessing the jab.

With Italy’s previous Covid vaccination campaigns, the websites for most regional health authorities have required patients to input their tessera sanitaria (national health card) and codice fiscale (tax code) numbers in order to make an online booking.

That means that if you don’t have one, you’ll likely need to make a phone call to either your regional health authority.

In the past, readers of The Local reported being able to book an appointment for a Covid vaccine by phone using only their codice fiscale number after explaining the situation (you’ll need the help of an Italian speaker if you don’t speak Italian).

As Italy’s Covid booster campaign is being rolled out alongside its seasonal flu jab campaign, you should be able to get both shots at the same time.

The Covid situation in Italy

According to the latest weekly bulletin from Italy’s National Health Institute (ISS), the number of Covid cases in Italy has increased over the past few weeks, with 38,775 new cases recorded between September 21st-27th, but the infection rate is slowing.

As of the week ending September 27th, the Rt (transmission rate) in Italy was 0.9, below the epidemic threshold,  and the numbers of hospitalisations and of Covid patients in intensive care is also low and stable, the data shows.

However the risk to older members of the population and people with underlying health conditions who become infected remains “severe”, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns.

“Vaccination saves lives, decreases the chances of being infected and reduces the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and influenza,” ECDC director Andrea Ammon said in a recent press release encouraging uptake of the vaccines.

Find more information about Italy’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign on the Italian health ministry’s website.

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