Background: Pneumococcal disease is a significant health burden, particularly among older adults and individuals with chronic conditions. Sequential pneumococcal vaccination (PCV13 followed by PPSV23) has been recommended in Italy since 2017 for its demonstrated efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Nevertheless, limited data are available on the sequential pneumococcal vaccination coverage in Italy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Prim Care Community Health
August 2025
Introduction: Under the mandate of supporting European immunisation cooperation and strategies, the specific aim of this work was about focusing on vaccine communication in order to raise awareness, increase confidence and strengthen the practice for vaccination in Italy.
Methods: The four-step Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle applied through a bundle of actions: (Plan) studying national vaccination scenarios and factors underlying vaccine hesitancy by developing a reference grid; (Do) creating a web platform-based toolbox with vaccine communication tools; (Check) engaging within national stakeholders within dedicated roundtables also associated to media trainings; (Act) co-developing, or co-selecting, tools to pilot amongst identified target communities.
Results: In 2021, we analysed evidence on vaccine hesitancy determinants in scientific (86%) and grey (14%) literature by applying contextual, individual, and vaccine-specific categories.
J Thromb Thrombolysis
August 2025
Ann Ist Super Sanita
December 2024
Background: The use of playful tools to promote children's and adolescents' health in schools is growing. Educational games are proven tools for promoting virtuous behaviours. This systematic review explores the significance of serious games in promoting health education among young audiences, particularly about hand, oral and respiratory hygiene, immunisation, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and sexually transmitted infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol
July 2024
Recenti Prog Med
September 2023
Neurol Sci
September 2023
I n the context of an adequate health care organization, the figure of the neurologist as an emergency operator (in the emergency room-ER-and/or in a dedicated outpatient clinic) is crucial for an effective functional connection with the territory (and therefore with general practitioners), a reduction in inappropriate ER accesses, specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to neurological emergencies in the ER and a reduction in nonspecific or even unnecessary instrumental investigations. In this position paper of the Italian Association of Emergency Neurology (ANEU: Associazione Neurologia dell'Emergenza Urgenza), these issues are addressed, and two important organizational solutions are proposed: 1) The Neuro Fast Track, as an outpatient organization approach strongly linked to general practitioners and non-neurological specialists and dedicated to cases with deferrable urgency (to be assessed within 72 h) 2) The identification of an emergency neurologist, who is engaged in ER assessments as a consultant and involved in the management of the semi-intensive care unit of the emergency neurology and the stroke unit according to an appropriate rotation, as well as in consultations for patients with neurological emergencies in inpatient wards The possibility of computerizing the screening of patients with deferrable urgency in the Neuro Fast Track is described. A dedicated app represents an important tool that can facilitate the identification of patients for whom deferred assessment is appropriate, the scheduling of neurological examinations and reductions in the booking time through a more rapid approach to specialist assessment and subsequent investigations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Public Health
October 2022
Background: Pregnant women, especially those with comorbidities, compared to those non-pregnant, have higher risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19. However, COVID-19 vaccine uptake is very low among them.
Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to randomly selected women 18 years of age that were currently pregnant or had just given birth between September 2021 and May 2022 in the geographic area of Naples.
Vaccines (Basel)
September 2022
Background: This cross-sectional survey aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding vaccinations among schoolteachers in Italy.
Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire from September 2020 to May 2021 from a sample of schoolteachers in the Campania region of southern Italy.
Results: Only 27% of the participants had good knowledge about the vaccinations recommended for schoolteachers.
Objectives: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate why parents decide to vaccinate, as well as the determinants, their children aged 5-11 years against COVID-19 in Italy.
Methods: The survey was conducted from January through May 2022. All parents/guardians who came in randomly selected days to immunization centers for the administration of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to their child were asked to complete a questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes toward COVID-19 infection and vaccination, reason(s) regarding their decision to vaccinate their child, and source(s) of information.
The objectives of the survey were to explore any changes in the adherence to the three main COVID-19 preventive measures (social distancing, washing hands, wearing face-masks) among 795 individuals who received the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose in Italy and to identify the predictors associated. The concern of contracting COVID-19 before the vaccination, after the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, and after the booster dose resulted with a mean value of 7.7, 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCOVID-19 vaccination has been extended to include children aged 5-11 years. This cross-sectional survey evaluated parental COVID-19 vaccine willingness and hesitancy, and associated factors, for their children aged 5-11 years with chronic conditions. A telephone survey was conducted from 14 December 2021 to 4 January 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground and Purpose-Systemic thrombolysis represents the main proven therapy for acute ischemic stroke, but safe treatment is reported only in well-established stroke units. To extend the use of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment in primary care hospitals on isolated areas through telemedic was the purpose of specific initiatives in southern Umbria, Italy. Methods-The stroke center of Foligno established a telestroke network to provide consultations for three local hospitals in southern Umbria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis cross-sectional study, conducted in Naples (Italy) between 16 November and 6 December 2021, explored the willingness to receive the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among a random sample selected from the list of those who had completed a primary vaccination series at the immunization center of a teaching hospital in Naples and the associated factors. Females had a significantly higher perceived risk of getting the SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas those not-having a cohabitant were less worried. 85.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Case Rep Intern Med
September 2021
Unlabelled: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of non-traumatic neurological disability in young adults. It has effects at different levels: physical, emotional, psychological, cognitive and social, with a great variety of signs and symptoms. In particular, spasticity contributes to reducing the motor performance of patients with MS, causing pain, reduction in distance walked and limitations in social life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Neurol
September 2021
Front Neurol
April 2021
Subcutaneous (SC) interferons beta (IFN-beta) are effective therapies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Factors such as dosing schedule, needle intolerance/fatigue, and side effects may impact patient satisfaction with treatment. Improvement of patient satisfaction may increase the adherence to treatment and the patient quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Case Rep Intern Med
February 2021
Unlabelled: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disease which confers an increased risk of malignant tumour development. Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The coexistence of multiple sclerosis and NF1 is rare but has been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Stroke J
December 2020
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a broader implementation of telemedicine for many diseases has become apparent. Televisits are one type of telemedicine in which clinical visits are conducted remotely using an audio-visual connection with the patient at home. The use of televisits is more established in Stroke care but was also recently formally evaluated for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Opin Neurol
February 2021
Purpose Of Review: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic challenges many healthcare systems. This review provides an overview of the advantages of telemedicine during times of pandemic and the changes that have followed the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease.
Recent Findings: Telemedicine has been utilized during infectious outbreaks for many years.