Flu, Tuscany third in cases

According to the weekly report on the spread of the influenza infection issued by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Tuscany is the third Italian region in terms of incidence of cases, with a rate of over 14.5 cases of people currently infected (over three points above the national average), behind only Campania and Abruzzo. Since the start of the season, over 50,000 Tuscans have contracted the flu virus. Professor Francesco Menichetti, former head of Infectious Diseases at Cisanello in Pisa and now president of the Italian Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship, warns that the number of infections is about to reach a peak, which is estimated to last until mid-February. The latest regional data shows that the flu vaccination rate in Tuscany has reached significant levels, with 855,010 people participating in the campaign, approximately 40,000 more than last year. However, Professor Menichetti has noted that this figure does not take into account the 968,000 over-65s in Tuscany, as well as the frail and the protected categories for whom vaccination is recommended. This means that a substantial proportion of the population at risk remains unprotected.