In brief
The spray is available only for people over 30 kilograms for now, and a paediatric version approved by Aifa in July is expected in spring.
Patella puts Italy's toll at 10,000 cases and 60 deaths a year, and says between 25% and 60% of patients refuse the injection.
Coverage among at-risk groups stood at 52.5% in 2024/2025, short of the 75% target, with indirect costs estimated at 2.86 billion euros a year.
Nasal adrenaline spray reaches Italy
Italy is getting its first nasal spray of adrenaline for anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, according to specialists from the Società Italiana di Allergologia, Asma e Immunologia Clinica (Siaaic), who made the announcement at the 38th national Siaaic congress in Salerno. The spray sits alongside intramuscular injections, which remain the usual treatment for the reaction. The society says it needs no needle, works with effectiveness comparable to an auto-injector, and may help people who fear injections or feel embarrassed to inject in front of others, especially young people. For now it is available only to people over 30 kilograms, and doctors will judge suitability in everyday practice. The product was approved in August 2024 by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, and has now received clearance from Aifa. A paediatric version, approved by Aifa in July, is expected in spring.
Anaphylaxis toll and delays
Vincenzo Patella, president of Siaaic, put the Italian toll at 10,000 cases and 60 deaths a year. He described allergies more broadly:
“Allergies are the most widespread chronic disorder in Europe, with estimates of about 150 million Europeans affected by some form of allergy.”
He added that about 20% of people with severe allergies live in fear of anaphylactic shock every day. Patella said that between 25% and 60% of patients refuse to inject the adrenaline, and that when they do, the dose comes late, with patients or carers waiting up to nine minutes. Mario Di Gioacchino, a past Siaaic president, said anaphylaxis is often triggered by foods, insect stings or medicines, and that symptoms include breathing difficulty and falling blood pressure. The spray is meant to reverse that delay.
Vaccine hesitancy and flu costs
Carlo Signorelli, professor of hygiene and public health at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, spoke on the sidelines of the 59th national congress of the Società Italiana di Igiene, Medicina preventiva e Sanità pubblica (Siti) in Genoa, held from 21 to 24 October. Twenty years after the HPV vaccine was introduced, he said an effective product is not enough, since the difficulty is persuading healthy people who feel no immediate need for vaccination or screening. He called for good health service organisation, effective communication campaigns, engagement of doctors, and attention to socio-cultural factors behind hesitancy. Andrea Marcellusi, president of ISPOR and a researcher at the University of Milan, estimated the cost of low flu coverage. Among people over 65 or with fragility, coverage stood at 52.5% in 2024/2025, against a 75% target set by a Ministry of Health circular. Reaching the target, he estimated, would avoid over 13 million euros in direct costs for the national health service, nearly 2,000 ordinary hospital admissions, 145 intensive care admissions and nearly 315 deaths a year, while indirect costs from lost working days and lower activity are put at 2.86 billion euros a year.
- Coverage 2024/2025
- 52.5 %
- Ministry target
- 75 %
Data from the article text
Resil-Card and the flu season
Gise, the Italian society of interventional cardiology, says about 60 Italian catheterisation laboratories have joined Resil-Card, a three-year European project aimed at keeping cardiovascular care running during crises. The society wants 110 centres to take part through a self-assessment tool that identifies organisational gaps and sets priorities. Progress was presented at the 47th Gise national congress, and the project's closing meeting in Milan on 22 October included William Wijns, principal investigator. Alfredo Marchese, Gise president, described the heat map that shows which areas are strong and which need work, and said:
“The goal is to favour shared organisational models that allow every patient to be directed promptly to the most appropriate centre.”
On influenza, Fabrizio Pregliasco of the University of Milan said the season is in transition: mild temperatures have delayed the flu, but the virus has not disappeared. He said mild weather may change the timing of the epidemic without allowing a firm forecast of the peak, and that infections could accelerate without warning. Rhinoviruses, seasonal coronaviruses, Sars-CoV-2, adenoviruses and respiratory syncytial virus are also circulating, alongside influenza A and B.