All Italians To Get the COVID-19 Vaccine Only in 2022

The Health Ministry's scientific advisor Walter Riccardi predicts that tens of millions of Italians will be vaccinated by the end of 2021, but that it will take until 2022 for all 60 million inhabitants to have been vaccinated.

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He also explained that "herd immunity" will only occur if a large part of the population is vaccinated, if there are no problems with the distribution of vaccines, and if the protection provided by vaccines lasts.

"If all these conditions are met, then it could be achieved," Riccardi said, adding that Pfizer and Moderna's production capacity will be another decisive factor in getting the vaccines to Italy.

Although the vaccine could protect only a few months, getting vaccinated is "very important because it protects people for the necessary period," the scientific advisor stressed, adding that people will have to repeat the vaccination several times as with vaccines for the common flu.

"While it is not permanent, the vaccine is important because it will allow us to live with the virus... it will be necessary to be vaccinated again every season. This is what will probably happen," he recalled.

The Italian government is currently inclined not to make vaccination mandatory. However, Ricciardi explained that vaccination could become mandatory for some population groups. Also, mandatory vaccination could be necessary to reach coverage of 90 percent of the population.

On Dec. 27, the first 9,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive in Italy and will be administered to health workers. The first vaccination campaign will distribute 1,620 doses to Lombardy, 685 to Sicily, 910 to Piedmont, and 955 to Lazio.