Vaccines: effective for all generations, essential in fragility

World Immunisation Week, promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is one of the most important moments in contemporary public health, not only for its symbolic value but for the strategic function it plays in the governance of prevention. It is not a simple awareness campaign, but a platform capable of orienting health policies, organisational models and individual behaviour, reaffirming the role of vaccination as a fundamental pillar of collective health protection.

Message 2026, 'For every generation, vaccines work', summarises a profound cultural change: vaccination is no longer limited to childhood, but accompanies the individual throughout life. This implies a substantial revision of the organisational models of health systems, which are called upon to guarantee continuity, accessibility and integration between the various levels of care. Vaccination thus becomes not only a primary prevention tool, but also an essential element in the management of fragility, the reduction of complications and the improvement of clinical outcomes.

In recent decades, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives, making them one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine. However, major critical issues persist: inequalities in access, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and vaccination hesitation even in settings with high availability of health services. The Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted these fragilities, interrupting routine vaccination programmes and leading to reduced coverage.

The contribution of the National Association of Hospital Management Doctors (ANMDO) with its project 'The Vaccinating Hospital', which proposes an innovative model of integration between treatment and prevention, fits into this scenario. The hospital is no longer just a place of treatment, but an active node in the preventive network, capable of intercepting vaccination needs and contributing significantly to increasing coverage. Every admission represents a concrete opportunity to assess the vaccination status and intervene, especially in fragile subjects, the elderly and chronic patients. Vaccination before discharge is an effective strategy in reducing complications, infections and re-hospitalisations. In this model, the Healthcare Directorate assumes a central governance role, transforming vaccination into an indicator of quality of care and clinical safety, fully integrated into the infectious risk control strategies.

Fundamental is also the integration between hospital and territory, based on interoperability of information systems, data sharing and continuity of care, as well as the role of communication in counteracting vaccination hesitancy. Health workers become key players in building trust and promoting informed behaviour. Vaccination also takes on an ethical dimension: it is not just an individual choice, but a collective responsibility, an expression of solidarity and protection of the most vulnerable. World Immunisation Week is therefore an opportunity to promote a profound cultural change. Vaccines work for every generation: this is not just a scientific fact, but a statement of confidence in the ability of public health to protect, prevent and care for the future of communities.