The immunisation schedule

The immunisation schedule, included in the National Vaccine Plan (PNPV) 2017-2019 and approved by the State-Regions Conference in the Agreement of January 19, 2017, was included in the Ministerial Decree on basic levels of care (LEA). Subsequently, the vaccination law made 10 vaccines mandatory for children under 16 years of age and strongly recommended 4 other vaccines, to be offered actively and free of charge. However, the PNPV 2017-2019 states that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for 11-year-olds and the MenACWY vaccine for teenagers are also to be offered actively and free of charge, as they both play an important role within an immunisation framework aimed at protecting the population all the way to old age, either through periodic boosters or through vaccines specifically recommended for older people.

The following vaccinations are offered actively and free of charge by the SSN (Italian National Health Service):

Children from zero to 6 years

• Anti-diphtheria: basic cycle of 3 doses in the first year of life and booster at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-polio: basic cycle of 3 doses in the first year of life and booster at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Tetanus booster: basic cycle of 3 doses in the first year of life and booster at 6 years (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-viral hepatitis B: 3 doses in the first year of life (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-pertussis: basic cycle of 3 doses in the first year of life and booster at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-Haemophilus influenzae type B: 3 doses in the first year of life (mandatory for those born in 2001)
• Anti-meningococcal B: 3 or 4 doses in the first year of life, depending on the month of administration of the first dose (strongly recommended for those born in 2017 and later)
• Anti-rotavirus: 2 or 3 doses in the first year of life, depending on the type of vaccine (strongly recommended for those born in 2017 and later)
• Anti-pneumococcal: 3 doses in the first year of life (strongly recommended for those born as of 2012)
• Anti-meningococcal C: 1st dose in the second year of life (strongly recommended for those born from 2012 onwards)
• Anti-varicella (Chicken Pox): 1st dose in the second year of life and 2nd dose at age 6 (mandatory for those born in 2017 and later)
• Anti-measles: 1st dose in the second year of life and 2nd dose at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-mumps: 1st dose in the second year of life and 2nd dose at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-rubella: 1st dose in the second year of life and 2nd dose at 6 years of age (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)

Adolescents

• Anti-diphtheria: booster shot (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-polio: booster shot (mandatory for those born in 2001 and later)
• Anti-tetanus: booster shot (mandatory for those born in 2001)
• Anti-pertussis: booster shot (mandatory for those born in 2001)
• Anti-HPV for girls and boys (2 doses during the 12th year of life)
• Anti-meningococcal tetravalent ACWY135 (1 dose)

Adults

• Anti-pneumococcal for 65-year-olds
• Anti-zoster for 65-year-olds
• Anti-flu for everyone over 64 years of age.

Risk categories

The PNPV 2017-2019 also envisages offering vaccination to several other categories of people, according to specific risk conditions.

Mandatory vaccinations from 0 to 16 years old

The vaccination law increased the number of mandatory vaccines for children under 16 years of age from 4 to 10, depending on the year of birth. The anti-varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is mandatory only for children born from 2017 onwards. A summary table is set out below.

Please refer to:

• Immunisation schedule included in the National Vaccination Plan 2017-2019
• Memo of  March 9, 2017, which covers practical aspects for a full and homogeneous implementation of the new PNPV 2017-2019 and the related immunisation schedule.
• Operational memos for the implementation of the vaccination law and the start of the 2017-2018 school year.