Over 65 vaccinated against influenza fall below 50% in 2025-26

Vaccination coverage in the general population for the 2025-2026 season decreased slightly (18.9%) compared to the previous season (19.6%). More evident is the decline in coverage in the elderly, which decreased by 2.7 points compared to the previous season, bringing it to 49.8% compared to 52.5% in 2024-2025. This is highlighted by the data published on the Ministry of Health website, which confirms "a decreasing trend in recent seasons after the peak of the 2020-2021 pandemic season with 65.3%".

The decrease in coverage is generalized in almost all Italian regions except in the autonomous province of Bolzano, Lombardy, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Sardinia, where there was a slight increase.

The minimum coverage objective is at least 75%, the optimal one is 95%. In fact, to significantly reduce morbidity, complications and mortality from influenza, the ministry reminds us, "it is necessary to achieve high vaccination coverage, especially in target population groups, such as the elderly over 65 years of age and high-risk subjects of all ages".