Covid-19 vaccinations now open to over-50s in most regions of Italy
More of Italy's regional health authorities have begun allowing people in their 50s to book their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, after the government's emergency commissioner Francesco Figliuolo urged them to extend their vaccination campaigns.
Over-50s – anyone born in or before 1971 – were due to become able to book a jab in several more Italian regions from Monday May 10th, including Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Puglia and Veneto.
Others including Emilia-Romagna and Liguria opened appointments to people aged 55 and over, to be followed by people in their early 50s later this month.
READ ALSO: Which groups are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine in your region of Italy?
Some, including Marche and Sardinia, are reserving vaccinations for people in their 50s with chronic health conditions that put them at higher risk from Covid-19, while only a handful have yet to open them to anyone in this age group.
A few regions, including Campania, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige, have already been allowing over-50s to get vaccinated for some time.
Commissioner Figliuolo last week urged more regions to begin vaccinating over-50s as he said the Italian vaccination campaign was making "good progress" so far.
Italy recently hit its target of administering half a million jabs in one day, and the seven-day average daily number of vaccinations given in the country is now around 450,000 - up from 409,000 the week before, the latest figures show.
READ ALSO: ‘It felt like a betrayal’: Foreign residents in Italy report problems getting vaccinated
While Italy’s national vaccination plan sets priority groups that each region is supposed to stick to, regional health authorities have some freedom to set their own schedule according to their population and the doses available.
That’s why people in their 50s can already get their shots in some parts of the country, while others are still focusing on people in their 60s or even 70s. (See a full breakdown of who can get vaccinated in each region here.)
Meanwhile some regions have closed booking for over-80s, health workers and teachers who have already mostly had at least one dose.
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Over-50s – anyone born in or before 1971 – were due to become able to book a jab in several more Italian regions from Monday May 10th, including Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Puglia and Veneto.
Others including Emilia-Romagna and Liguria opened appointments to people aged 55 and over, to be followed by people in their early 50s later this month.
READ ALSO: Which groups are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine in your region of Italy?
Some, including Marche and Sardinia, are reserving vaccinations for people in their 50s with chronic health conditions that put them at higher risk from Covid-19, while only a handful have yet to open them to anyone in this age group.
A few regions, including Campania, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige, have already been allowing over-50s to get vaccinated for some time.
Commissioner Figliuolo last week urged more regions to begin vaccinating over-50s as he said the Italian vaccination campaign was making "good progress" so far.
Italy recently hit its target of administering half a million jabs in one day, and the seven-day average daily number of vaccinations given in the country is now around 450,000 - up from 409,000 the week before, the latest figures show.
READ ALSO: ‘It felt like a betrayal’: Foreign residents in Italy report problems getting vaccinated
While Italy’s national vaccination plan sets priority groups that each region is supposed to stick to, regional health authorities have some freedom to set their own schedule according to their population and the doses available.
That’s why people in their 50s can already get their shots in some parts of the country, while others are still focusing on people in their 60s or even 70s. (See a full breakdown of who can get vaccinated in each region here.)
Meanwhile some regions have closed booking for over-80s, health workers and teachers who have already mostly had at least one dose.
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