Vaccines for your Child

Here is a table of the vaccines for your child which most are done at the ASL for free if you are a resident.  As of now, they are not required to attend school but  they are recommended.  Since there are always some changes in the years you should double check with your local ASL if you have any questions.

The Italian Childhood Vaccination Schedule
	DTaP	IPV	Hib	HepB	MMR	dTap	PCV	MenC	Var
At birth				Yes1
2-3 months	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4-5 months	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
10-12 months	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
12-14 months					Yes
2 months-2 years								Yes2
2 months-3 years							Yes2
1 year-2 years									Yes2
5-6 years	Yes	Yes			Yes3
5-15 years					Yes3
11-15 years						Yes4			Yes5
The Italian Childhood Vaccination Schedule as on 21 October 2008

Abbreviations:  Overviews of MMR, pertussis, pneumococcal, meningococcal C, varicella, HPV and Polio vaccination schedules across EUVAC.NET participating countries are also available.

1. Hepatitis B vaccine is administered at birth only to children born to HBsAg + mothers. Otherwise immunization starts at 3 months of age.
2. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, meningococcal C conjugate vaccine and varicella vaccine (dose given at 1-2 years) are recommended at national level for selected groups only.
3. MMR2: second dose or catch-up dose.
4. dT vaccination is recommended every ten years thereafter.
5. Recommended at national level for susceptible adolescents only.

Contraindications and precautions

There are some situations that may contraindicate a vaccination.  It is necessary that parents, before vaccination, consult their doctor who will evaluate the health of the child and indicate whether vaccination should be postponed or avoided.

Temporary contraindications:   temporary situations which preclude vaccination only for the period of time

•          acute illness with fever of high grade
•          vaccinations living (such as MMR and OPV) if within 30 days was given another live virus vaccine
•          therapy, in progress, with drugs that affect the immune system or with high-dose steroids.

Should be avoided contraindications:  the child should not be given some vaccines

•          experienced severe reactions to previous vaccinations
•          is suffering from neurological diseases
•          is suffering from congenital diseases of the immune system
•          allergic to egg protein (if the vaccine contains)
•          allergic to certain antibiotics such as streptomycin and neomycin (if the vaccine contains)

If the child is suffering from diseases such as leukemia, cancer, AIDS, the situation must be evaluated case by case basis.

Some situations do not represent real contraindications, but rather require the adoption of certain precautions in the administration of the vaccine (such as the ready availability of anti-inflammatory and antipyretic).

Parents should, therefore, to report to the vaccinating physician:

•      febrile reactions leading to a previous dose of the same vaccine
•      episodes of irritability (such as persistent crying and inconsolable) that are a result of previous vaccination
•      presence in the history of the family or the child himself, of febrile seizures
•      recent administration of immunoglobulin