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Health and Health Resources in Rome
Special on the H1N1
(swine flu) Epidemic Though the swine flu epidemic is fortunately not turning out to be the disaster that was feared, it is still ongoing and causing illness in Italy as elsewhere. You can still get vaccinated if necessary, through the Italian National Health Service, free of charge, without distinction between Italians and foreigners, at a public vaccination center. You can go to the center at Via San Martino della Battaglia 16 between 9:00 am and noon Monday through Friday; no appointment necessary. National Health Service patients can also get vaccinated by their NHS pediatrician or GP, and the vaccine is available for at-risk United Nations employees at the FAO Health Service. More information in Italian
can be obtained at the Health
Ministry's web site or by phoning 1500. For authoritative swine flu information in English we suggest the Centers for Disease Control web site. Centers for Disease Control advice for staying healthy: • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. General Health and Health Resources In an emergency: Always try to call us
first. See practitioners' pages
for emergency numbers
Pharmacies: Most pharmacies
follow usual Italian shopping hours, but many, including
the Farmacia Santa Sabina on Viale Aventino, are open 8:30
AM to 7: 30 or 8 PM without a break, and several (one is
on Via Arenula) stay open all night. The pharmacist will
normally give you back the prescription after filling it,
so we write your instructions in whatever language you prefer.
Watch out when asking pharmacists for medical advice; they
tend to be a bit free with medicines. Testing: Italian laboratories
and outside consultants will by and large
Health in Rome: Yes, you can drink the tap water, it's mostly from deep springs. Infectious diseases, such as German measles, whooping cough (check your children's vaccinations), and hepatitis (watch out for raw shellfish) are more common here than at home. The Tiber is badly polluted, and the beaches nearest Rome are barely less so. Expect to get more colds than usual soon after arrival; you have to build up immunity to the local viruses. Likewise you may suffer from diarrhea while your intestine gets used to Italian varieties of bacteria and to all that olive oil. Birth control and abortions are legal here. Finally, Rome is the allergy capital of the world. Mind and Soul in English: Via
Sant'Alberto Magno, 5 - 00153 Rome, Italy |
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Ambulances
(tel. 118) will take you to the nearest public hospital
emergency room and should be called immediately in all
absolute emergencies, especially severe chest pain that
could be a heart attack. In less dire cases try first
to call us—there may be one best hospital for your
case (S. Eugenio for severe burns, for
example, and the Spallanzani for suspected swine flu). 