The 2016 Lifetime Immunization Schedule, approved by the Italian scientific societies: A new paradigm to promote vaccination at all ages

Abstract

Medical scientific societies have the core mission of producing, pooling and disseminating solid and updated scientific information. We report the successful experience of the partnership of four national Medical Scientific Societies active in Italy in producing scientific advice on vaccines and vaccination. In particular, i) the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health; SitI, ii) the Italian Society of Paediatrics; SIP, iii) the “Italian Federation of General Practitioners”; FIMP, and iv) the Italian Federation of General Medicine FIMMG) have worked together since 2012 to produce shared evidence-based recommendations on vaccination schedules, namely the “Lifetime Immunization Schedule” which introduced for the first time in Italy a life-course approach to vaccination. The 2014 edition of the “Lifetime Immunization Schedule” was used as a basis to develop the 2017–2019 Italian National Prevention Plan, approved by The Italian Ministry of Health in February 2017. In this report, we present the structure, content and supporting evidence of the new 2016 “Lifetime Immunization Schedule” and we expand on the influential role of medical scientific societies in researching and advocating for effective and safe vaccination programmes’ implementation at the national level.

Health Care Professionals’ Perspectives on Life-Course Immunization: A Qualitative Survey from a European Conference

“…This is in line with previous publications which recommend a multi-disciplinary approach involving all relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of LCI [11,12]. As an example, a similar cooperative approach achieved success in Italy, where a multi-disciplinary partnership of medical scientific societies representing public health, primary care and pediatrics successfully collaborated to produce three consecutive editions of the "Lifetime Immunization Schedule" [23]. An implication of this result is that industry could facilitate knowledge-sharing initiatives about LCI through multi-disciplinary partnerships with HCPs and other relevant stakeholders.…”

Life-course immunization as a gateway to health

“…The first moves in this direction can already be seen. In Italy, to contain disease resurgence and reverse the trend toward lower vaccination rates, a life-course immunization approach was implemented in the 2017-2019 national vaccination plan, with childhood, adolescent, adult, and older adult vaccinations all being prioritized [17]. This was put in place after extensive internal discussion between different health specialties and public health bodies making Italy one of only a few countries to explicitly make life-course vaccination a priority [18][19][20].…”

“…Interprofessional collaboration in education and practice was identified as an innovative strategy by the WHO and its partners in diminishing the challenges faced by global health systems [109]. Successful collaboration between different medical societies has already led to the new life-course vaccination plan in Italy [17]. We therefore propose that pediatricians and general practitioners become ambassadors of vaccination culture toward other HCPs and families, so that vaccination becomes part of a healthy lifestyle at all ages, like other preventive measures.…”

Leadership in Public Health: Opportunities for Young Generations Within Scientific Associations and the Experience of the “Academy of Young Leaders”

“…In this context, public health is emerging from a behind-the-scenes discipline to a trans-discipline that integrates theoretical concepts with health-care assistance (8). Public health leaders play a crucial role in ensuring population health and well-being through prevention and health promotion (9,10), healthcare policy and management (11), promoting collaboration and networking (12), and through a more effective decision making process (13). Capacity building is the key to success, as reliable and accountable communicators may build trust (14).…”