Share of individuals aged 4 vaccinated in Italy 2021, by antigen

The vaccination coverage among four-year-old children, born in 2017 in Italy, varied greatly according to the type of antigen. According to the data, in 2021, the share of children vaccinated against tetanus, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, and hepatitis B reached 95.5 percent. Those vaccinations are all mandatory for children and teenagers below 16 years of age. Since 2017, vaccination against varicella (chickenpox) in Italy has also been included among mandatory vaccinations. Indeed in 2021, around 92 percent of children up to two years old were vaccinated against varicella, against 91.49 percent of the four-year-old ones.

Tetanus vaccine

The number of tetanus cases has dramatically decreased worldwide since 1980. In 2020, just one case of tetanus has been reported in Europe. This result has been achieved through the vaccine, which is highly effective in preventing this infection. In Italy the coverage rate of the tetanus vaccine among children up to two years old was equal to roughly 94 percent across Italy, with all regions, except for Aosta Valley, Sicily and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, having coverage above 91 percent.

Seasonal flu vaccination

Toddlers and children aged 2-4 years were among the individuals with the highest flu vaccination rates in Italy during the flu season 2021-2022. This percentage varied greatly by age and was the highest among individuals aged 65 years and older, with a rate of 58.1 percent. Children and elderly people are among those recommended by the Italian Ministry of Health to get vaccinated against seasonal flu, due to a higher risk of flu-related complications.