Drive-through vaccinations prove successful in immunizing mountain communities against tick-borne encephalitis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Anna DE Polo; Chiara Schiavon; Marika Brancher; Serena Cian; Chiara Zallot; Anita Pupo; Donatella Rizzato; Sandro Cinquetti

doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2020.61.4.1814

Drive-through vaccinations prove successful in immunizing mountain communities against tick-borne encephalitis during the COVID-19 pandemic

J Prev Med Hyg. 2021 Jan 14;61(4):E497-E500. doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2020.61.4.1814. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Authors

Anna DE Polo^{1

2}, Chiara Schiavon², Marika Brancher², Serena Cian², Chiara Zallot², Anita Pupo², Donatella Rizzato², Sandro Cinquetti²

Affiliations

¹ University of Padova, School of Specialization in Hygiene and Public Health, Padova, Italy.
² Prevention Department, A.U.L.S.S. 1 Dolomiti, Veneto Region, Italy.

PMID: 33628952
PMCID: PMC7888386
DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2020.61.4.1814

Abstract

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted most of the routine outpatient activities in Italian hospitals and Prevention Departments, including those vaccinations which were not urgent and/or scheduled for children aged 0-6 years. Since June 2020, when the pandemic entered a milder phase, in the alpine Province of Belluno (Veneto, North-Eastern Italy), 12,152 doses of vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis have been administered by means of the innovative "drive-through" modality. No significant adverse events have occurred and popular demand has steadily grown, proving the "drive-through" approach to be safe, efficient and successful.

Keywords: COVID-19; Drive-through; TBE vaccine.

MeSH terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities / organization & administration
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
Child
Child Welfare / statistics & numerical data
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / immunology
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / prevention & control*
Humans
Italy
Vaccination / statistics & numerical data*
Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage*

Substances

Viral Vaccines