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COVID-19 VACCINES

Don’t discriminate against the unvaccinated, rights group asks Italy

Italy's division of the human rights group, Amnesty International, has called on the Italian government to reconsider its tightened anti-Covid measures.

Published: 16 January 2022 17:44 CET
Amnesty International has called on the Italian government to consider their vaccine mandates carefully.
Amnesty International has called on the Italian government to consider their vaccine mandates carefully. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

In recent weeks, the Italian authorities have introduced more and more measures aimed at encouraging the unvaccinated population to get a dose in a bid to curb rising infections and reduce pressure on Italy’s hospitals.

The government made it mandatory for the over 50s to get vaccinated, applicable from February 1st, while 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.

READ ALSO: Over-50s in Italy without Covid booster face 100 euro fine

Other health measures include an extension to the ‘super green pass’, which has made vaccination (or recovery from the virus) mandatory to access most venues and services in Italy, including public transport, effective as of January 10th.

But Amnesty International has asked for alternative means to keep the virus under control, so that the unvaccinated can continue to go to work and use public transport “without discrimination”, it said in a statement.

Their proposals instead include the use of protective equipment and Covid-19 testing.

At the moment a negative test result will only provide a ‘basic green pass’, which is needed at workplaces (unless you’re in one of the categories subject to the vaccine mandate).

The basic green pass is also soon going to be a requirement to access hairdressers, barbers, banks, the post office and shopping centres.

EXPLAINED: How do Italy’s Covid vaccination rules apply to visitors?

The human rights group said the certificate “must be a time-limited device and the government must continue to ensure that the entire population can enjoy its fundamental rights, such as the right to education, work and treatment.”

Amnesty International has stated that it doesn’t support blanket mandatory vaccination mandates and has urged governments “to consider any mandatory vaccination requirements only as a last resort and if they are strictly in line with international human rights standards”.

It added that compulsory vaccination is sometimes justified, provided it is “established by law, deemed necessary and proportionate to a legitimate purpose related to the protection of public health”. Any vaccine mandates should be monitored, it added, “to ensure that these requirements do not result in human rights violations”.

The Italian authorities first introduced vaccine mandates in April last year, when a law was passed making it compulsory for all all healthcare workers in Italy.

It was subsequently extended to teachers, police and rescue workers and has most recently become a requirement for the over 50s.

Italy has been discussing mandatory vaccination for the general public for months in order to meet immunisation targets, but so far no such requirement has come into force.

Some 86.8 percent of the population over 12 years old have now completed a full vaccination cycle in Italy, the latest official figures show.

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.

Published: 2 October 2023 13:08 CEST
Updated: 2 November 2023 12:21 CET
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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