EXPLAINED: How to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot in Italy

Third or booster doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines can be administered four months after completion of the initial vaccination cycle, as the Italian government cut the period down from five months on Monday - the reduced timeframe is aimed at keeping immunisation rates high as the number of infections continues to rise and hit new highs.

The initial vaccination cycle is defined as two doses of most Covid vaccines, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson jab.

Initially, Italy offered booster shots to healthcare workers and those in older and more vulnerable age groups, but since December 1st has allowed anyone over the age of 18 to book a third dose.

The Italian authorities have also made it mandatory for the over 50s to get vaccinated, making it a requirement to produce a ‘super green pass’, which shows the bearer is vaccinated against or recently recovered from Covid, to enter their workplace from next month. As vaccination allows six months' validity of the 'super green pass', many people in this age group will soon need their third dose to get to work if they already completed their vaccination cycle.

But there is often confusion about how boosters can be booked, with the process varying from region to region around Italy - and, as with the first dose, added obstacles for foreign residents of Italy who are not signed up to the country's national health service.

Here's a look at how and where to book your booster.

Start with your regional health authority’s website

Your first step should be to visit the website of your regional health authority and see what information is available there.

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

Some regions require appointments, while others allow walk-ins; some allow pharmacies to administer the vaccine, while others require you to go to a vaccination hub. Several regions make use of a national platform for booking shots, while some ask you to use their own platform.

The Tuscany health authority’s website, for example, has clear instructions on how to book an online appointment for your booster shot depending on which category you fall into.

In Basilicata, by contrast, no appointments are required and residents can walk in to any vaccination hub on the day to receive their shot, provided they have their tessera sanitaria (Italian health card) with them.

READ ALSO: Where to register for a Covid-19 vaccine in your region of Italy

Here are the relevant webpages for each Italian region:

Abruzzo: Third dose information here.

Autonomous Province of Bolzano: Third dose information here.

Autonomous Province of Trento: Third dose information here.

Basilicata: Third dose information here.

Calabria: Third dose information here.

Campania: Third dose information here.

Emilia Romagna: Third dose information here.

Friuli Venezia Giulia: Third dose information here.

Lazio: Third dose information here.

Liguria: Third dose information here.

Lombardy: Third dose information here.

Molise: Third dose information here.

Marche: Third dose information here.

Piedmont: Third dose information here.

Puglia: Third dose information here.

Sardinia: Third dose information here.

Sicily: Third dose information here.

Tuscany: Third dose information here.

Umbria: Third dose information here.

Valle d'Aosta: Third dose information here.

Veneto: Third dose information here.

If you can’t find the information you need online, ask your doctor

If you can’t see the information you need about boosters on the 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.

In the Lombardy region, it is already possible to get a third dose from some pharmacies and this may soon happen in other regions.

If you don’t have an Italian health card, call up your health authority or vaccination centre

As was the case with the initial round of vaccines, it’s proving difficult to book a booster without a tessera sanitaria (Italian health card) and codice fiscale (tax code) – but, as readers showed with first doses, it’s not impossible.

The websites for most regional health authorities require patients to input both their tessera sanitaria and codice fiscale 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 or go directly to a nearby vaccination centre to see how they can help you.

In many cases, readers of The Local report being able to book an appointment by phone using only their codice fiscale number after explaining the situation.

READ ALSO: How to try to get a Covid-19 vaccine without a health card in your region of Italy

If you don’t speak Italian, it will be helpful to ask someone who does for assistance so they can help explain your situation.

If you experience pushback when trying to access a vaccine in Italy, be aware that you can:

• Refer operators to the guidance from Italy’s medicines agency AIFA, which says that vaccination is open to “All persons residing or otherwise present on the Italian territory, with or without a residence permit or identity documents, including holders of the STP (Stranieri Temporaneamente Presenti) or ENI (European Non Iscritto) code, holders of the numerical tax code Codice Fiscale or those without one, holders of an expired health card and those who fall into the categories periodically updated by the Vaccination Plan”. Have the page ready on your smartphone: find the link in Italian here.
• Refer operators to Ordinance 3/2021 from Italy’s Covid-19 Emergency Commission, which states: “each Region or Autonomous Province should proceed to vaccinate not only its resident population but also people domiciled on regional territory for reasons of work or family necessity, or any other justified and proven reason that requires their continuous presence in the Region or Autonomous Province.”

Find more information about Italy’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign on the Italian health ministry’s website (available in English).