In December 2019, some cases of viral pneumonia were epidemiologically related to a new coronavirus in the province of Hubei, China. Subsequently, there has been an increase in infections attributable to this virus throughout China and worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the infection coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the virus has been classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This appears to be a virus from Rhinolophus bats, but the intermediate host has not yet been identified. The mechanism of infection of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet known; it appears to have affinity for cells located in the lower airways, where it replicates. The interhuman transmission of coronaviruses mainly occurs through saliva droplets and direct and indirect contact via surfaces. As of March 10, 2020, the number of cases worldwide was 113,702. Along with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS), COVID-19 appears to cause a severe clinical picture in humans, ranging from mild malaise to death by sepsis/acute respiratory distress syndrome. The prognosis is worse in elderly patients with comorbidities. To date, there is no specific therapy for COVID-19. Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection implies strategies that limit the spread of the virus. WHO and other international and national bodies have developed continuously updated strategic objectives and provisions to contain the spread of the virus and infection.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a viral agent whose transmission occurs mainly by sexual means. It causes different pathological conditions in both males and females, ranging from benign pathologies up to cancers. The introduction of vaccination has certainly had a major impact in terms of reducing the incidence of both HPV infections and diseases but in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA) there are still about more than 13,000 deaths due to cervical cancer each year. To date in Europe and in Italy there are three vaccines available (bi-, tetra-, and nonvalent vaccines). The vaccination campaign started irregularly in Europe and Italy in 2007, with pre-adolescent girls as the primary target. Later, other cohorts were introduced such as 12-year-old boys, additional cohorts of >25-year-old women, women who already underwent cervical surgery and other subjects entitled to free vaccination. The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted on public health services, particularly on vaccinations that, especially during the first pandemic phase, have been often delayed and/or canceled. The most affected vaccinations by the pandemic have been the non-mandatory ones, particularly those addressing the adolescent and adult population, such as immunization against papillomavirus. To date the achievement of the coverage target set by the Italian National Immunization Plan (NIP) has not yet been achieved. The aim of this work is to summarize the current situation in Italy and to discuss the strategies that have been implemented to increase overall vaccination coverage rates.

Starting from December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has forcefully entered our lives and profoundly changed all the habits of the world population. The COVID-19 pandemic has violently impacted the European continent, first involving only some European countries, Italy in particular, and then spreading to all member states, albeit in different ways and times. The ways SARS-CoV-2 spreads are still partly unknown; to quantify and adequately respond to the pandemic, various parameters and reporting systems have been introduced at national and European levels to promptly recognize the most alarming epidemiological situations and therefore limit the impact of the virus on the health of the population. The relevant key points to implement adequate measures to face the epidemic include identifying the population groups most involved in terms of morbidity and mortality, identifying the events mostly related to the spreading of the virus and recognizing the various viral mutations. The main objective of this work is to summarize the epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Italy almost a year after the first reported case in our continent. The secondary objectives include the definition of the epidemiological parameters used to monitor the epidemic, the explanation of superspreading events and the description of how the epidemic has impacted on health and social structures, with a particular focus on Italy.

The aim of this study was to analyze the seroprevalence of varicella in Italy and to evaluate the impact of varicella vaccination, which has been mandatory for newborns since 2017. The levels of VZV-specific IgG antibodies were determined by the ELISA method in residual serum samples obtained from subjects aged between 6 and 64 years and residing in 13 Italian regions. Overall, 3746 serum samples were collected in the years 2019 and 2020. The overall seroprevalence was 91.6% (89.9% in males and 93.3% in females; p = 0.0002). Seroprevalence showed an increasing trend (p < 0.0001) starting in the younger age groups: 6–9 years: 84.1%; 10–14 years: 88.7%; 15–19 years: 89.3%; 20–39 years: 93.1% and >40 years: 97.0%. The seroprevalence data obtained in the present study were compared with those relating to previous sero-epidemiological surveys conducted, respectively, in the years 1996–1997, 2003–2004 and 2013–2014, taking into consideration only data from regions monitored in all surveillance campaigns. The comparison highlighted for the period 2019–2020 showed significantly higher values in the age groups 6–9 (p < 0.001), 10–14 (p = 0.018) and 15–19 years (p = 0.035), while in adults, the trend did not change over time (ns). These results highlight the positive impact of varicella vaccination in Italy.

A study was conducted to assess the degree of pertussis underreporting in Italy. An analysis was performed to compare the frequency of pertussis infections estimated using seroprevalence data with the pertussis incidence based on reported cases among the Italian population. For this purpose, the proportion of subjects who had an anti-PT ≥ 100 IU/mL (indicative of B. pertussis infection within the last 12 months) was compared with the reported incidence rate among the Italian population ≥5 years old, divided into two age groups (6–14 and ≥15 years old), obtained from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) database. The pertussis incidence rate in the Italian population ≥5 years old reported by the ECDC in 2018 was 6.75/100,000 in the 5–14 age group and 0.28/100,000 in the ≥15 age group. The proportion of subjects recruited in the present study with an anti-PT ≥ 100 IU/mL was 0.95% in the 6–14 age group and 0.97% in the ≥15 age group. The estimated rate of pertussis infections based on seroprevalence was approximately 141-fold and 3452-fold higher than the reported incidence in the 6–14 age group and in the ≥15 age group, respectively. Quantification of underreporting can allow for the burden of pertussis, as well as the impact of ongoing vaccination, to be better evaluated.

Recent estimates by World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) show a significant decline in vaccinal coverage rates in both pediatric and adult populations. The interruption of vaccination services is reported in at least 68 countries, with the involvement of about 80 million children worldwide. The situation is alarming if we consider that already in the period preceding the pandemic, immunization programs slowed down in various areas of the world. For these reasons, there is the risk of overloading health systems, already under pressure from the pandemic emergency, by employing human and economic resources for the management of epidemic outbreaks from vaccine-preventable diseases. The restoration and integration of vaccination services, the immunization of susceptible individuals as well as the adoption of adequate monitoring and surveillance measures are the main activities adopted by different countries to address the current global health emergency.