ROME (Reuters) – A series of new rules and the supply of new doses will boost Italy’s vaccination campaign, allowing the government to lift restrictions on businesses and citizens starting from May, the health mister said in an interview published on Monday.
“In May the conditions could exist to apply less restrictive measures, similar to those for the yellow (low-risk) areas…We need to be highly cautious and prudent, and (the government) needs to do so gradually,” Roberto Speranza told la Repubblica daily.
Speranza said that all citizens aged over 80 will be vaccinated by the end of April and those over the age of 60 will all be administered at least a first dose by the end of June.
Following approval by the national medicines agency Aifa, Italy will start administering a second dose to those vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna after 42 days rather than 21/28 days, Speranza added.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
