who can ask for a serological test –

“Measles, what can an individual do? If you have not been vaccinated or have not had the disease, or you have doubts about it, just ask your doctor for the prescription for the serological test which certifies whether you are immune. Then, if you are not, you can get vaccinated.” Matteo Bassetti, chief infectious disease specialist at the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa, suggests this path to counter the return of the infection, after the latest bulletin from the Higher Institute of Health reported 213 cases in the first 3 months of the year alone. “Among other things – the specialist reminds us on Facebook – with two doses” of the vaccine, “or if you have had the disease, the immunity” against measles “is perennial”.

Regarding the increase in measles cases in Italy, “family doctors are carefully monitoring the phenomenon, considering the high level of contagiousness of this disease. Their colleagues are alerted and informed. As far as patients are concerned, however, there is no a great concern in this regard. We do not receive many requests for information about this, much less requests for serological tests”, which however “can be prescribed to unvaccinated people who do not know if they have had the disease and, therefore, a natural immunization” . Silvestro Scotti, national secretary of the Federation of general practitioners (Fimmg), explains this to Adnkronos Salute regarding the indications to resort to the test proposed by Matteo Bassetti, chief infectious disease specialist of the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa, to those who have doubts regarding the ‘having had the disease.

“We have sent indications to the Fimmg family doctors – continues Scotti – to implement even more decisive attention, starting from checking the vaccination coverage of the patients, even if it is a routine activity for the medical doctor general. We also recalled the importance of informing fragile people and the measures necessary for prevention in cases of possible contact. Colleagues are ‘attentive to the spread of infectious diseases”. On this issue, in fact, “more than alerting the population, the vigilance of primary care systems – general medicine and free-choice paediatrics – is important, both to verify vaccination coverage and to encourage immunization, also through serology”, he concludes Scotti.