The new Italian National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and its commitment to endorse a new efficient National Immunization Plan in COVID-19 times
Authors
Andrea Silenzi, Andrea Siddu, Anna Carole D'Amelio, Sarah Cataldi, Camilla Fasano, Francesco Maraglino, Giovanni Rezza, Carlo Signorelli
Abstract
Among the objectives of the WHO Global Vaccination Action Plan 2020-2025, there is the establishment, in all countries, of a National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), an independent body with the aim of supporting and harmonising vaccination policies. Italy firstly established a NITAG in 2017; it contributed to the country's vaccination policies but did not achieve the goal of becoming a real reference body. The new NITAG, recently appointed, made up of 28 independent experts, has the ambitious goal to promote the new National Immunisation Prevention Plan (PNPV), to harmonise the current vaccination schedule with the anti-COVID-19 campaign, and to recover the vaccination coverage decline that occurred during the pandemic. To reach these goals the interaction with the ECDC EU/EEA, the WHO Global NITAG networks and all the national stakeholders need to be strengthened. This paper describes the structure, organisation, and strategy of the new Italian NITAG.
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