ROME – Thousands die each week of Covid-19 in Italy, one of the highest numbers and death rates per capita in the West.
One factor, according to Italy’s own government: Italy has been delayed vaccinating the elderly for many weeks. While national authorities have given priority to the elderly and those in nursing homes alongside front-line health workers, regional authorities have given many blows to younger workers.
This contrasts with the UK, where vaccination of older age groups first contributed to a sharp decline in Covid-19 deaths.
In the last two weeks of March, Italy reported 102 deaths caused by Covid-19 per million inhabitants, compared to 47 in Spain, 28 in Germany and 11 in the United Kingdom. % of the 107,000 deaths confirmed by Italy due to Covid-19.
“If we had vaccinated those over 70 or 75 years from the beginning, we would have avoided so many deaths,” said Antonella Viola, a virologist at the University of Padua.