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Background/Objectives: Hand hygiene (HH) is pivotal in mitigating infectious disease transmission and enhancing public health outcomes. This study focuses on detailing the national surveillance system for alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) consumption in healthcare facilities across Italy, presenting results from a comprehensive three-year evaluation period, from 2020 to 2022. It aims to delineate this surveillance system and report on ABHR consumption trends in various Regions/Autonomous Provinces (Rs/APs). Methods: ABHR consumption data, collected through the ABHR Italian national surveillance system, coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), were analyzed. Statistical methods, e.g., the Mann–Whitney test, were used to assess trends in ABHR consumption, expressed in liters per 1000 patient days (L/1000PD). Results: The results show significant variation in ABHR consumption across Rs/APs and over the years studied. National median ABHR consumption decreased from 2020 to 2022, with a significant reduction from a median of 24.5 L/1000PD in 2020 to 20.4 L/1000PD in 2021 and 15.6 L/1000PD in 2022. Conclusions: The decline in ABHR consumption raises concerns about the ongoing adherence to HH practices in Italian healthcare settings. This underscores the essential role that systematic ABHR monitoring and improved surveillance play in enhancing HH compliance, suggesting that sustained and strategic efforts are fundamental to uphold high standards of hygiene and to effectively respond to fluctuating ABHR usage trends over time. Further research is needed to explore barriers to effective ABHR use and to develop targeted strategies to improve HH practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, despite the documented positive effects of rotavirus (RV) vaccination on reducing the burden of RV disease, an updated national assessment of its impact on clinical outcomes is still lacking. This study aims to analyze the implementation of RV vaccination in Italy, evaluating its impact on discharges for acute pediatric gastroenteritis (AGE). A retrospective analysis, including hospital discharge records and data on vaccination coverage for children aged 0–71 months from 2009 to 2019, was conducted. We examined trends in hospital discharge standardized incidence before and after vaccine introduction using a negative binomial mixture model with fixed effects to evaluate the impact of universal vaccination. The percentage of vaccination coverage increased over the years, from <5% between 2009 and 2013 to 26% in 2017, reaching 70% in 2019. The standardized incidence of discharges decreased over the period from 16.6/100,000 inhabitants in 2009–2013 to 9.9/100,000 inhabitants in 2018–2019. In this phase, about 15% of the estimated hospital discharges were avoided compared with those estimated in the first phase. The implementation of RV vaccination reduced AGE incidence discharges in children aged 0–71 months. Further efforts are needed to continue monitoring the vaccination effect over time and to increase vaccination coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of the first schedule of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines has decreased after the surge of the Delta variant, posing the need to administer a booster dose to enhance the neutralising immune response. This study aims at evaluating the duration of protection given by the booster dose of Pfizer–BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers (HCWs) of a large teaching hospital in Rome and to analyse the factors associated with post-booster vaccination infections. Data about vaccinations of HCWs with the BNT162b2 vaccine and nasal swabs positive for SARS-CoV-2 were extracted from the digital archives of the hospital from 27 September 2021 to 31 May 2022. In total, 5770 HCWs were observed. The cumulative risk of becoming infected by SARS-CoV-2 increased with time (2.5% at 4 weeks, 17% at 12 weeks and 40% at 24 weeks) and was significantly higher for females, younger classes of patients and for those who had developed a hybrid immunity (natural infection plus one dose, namely the primary schedule, added to the booster dose) compared to those who had completed the three doses. This study describes the duration and the determinants of the protection against infections after the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of vaccine-induced immunogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence is emerging on the higher risk of infection and adverse outcomes for the most disadvantaged groups of the population, and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns worldwide are struggling to ensure equitable access to immunization for all. From 21 June 2021 to 15 October 2021, the Local Health Unit ASL Roma 1 adopted a tailored immunization strategy to reach socially vulnerable groups of the population with the primary vaccination course. This strategy was developed with a step-by-step, participatory approach. Through engagement with internal and external stakeholders, target groups were identified, potential barriers analyzed, solutions discussed, and tailored interventions designed. Over nine thousand individuals from among irregular migrants, homeless people and hard-to-reach communities were contacted and vaccinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]