Special on the H1N1 (swine flu) Epidemic
- last update 27 December 2009 -

Vaccination:

The swine flu vaccine will not be available in pharmacies or in private doctors' offices, including ours. The Italian National Health Service is vaccinating persons who fall into the categories on the list below. Vaccination is performed free of charge, supposedly without distinction between Italians and foreigners, at a public vaccination center - vaccinees in categories #2 - 5 and 8 should bring a medical certificate. 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 a limited number of doses are 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.

Categories to be vaccinated, in order of priority:

1) Medical personnel, firefighters, etc., under age 65.
2) Women more than 3 months pregnant.
3) Primary caretakers of babies under 6 months old.
4) People between 6 months and 17 years old who are at increased risk for complications because of preexisting medical conditions.
5) People between 18 and 65 years old who are at increased risk for complications because of preexisting medical conditions.
6) All other people between 6 months and 17 years old.
7) All other people between 18 and 27 years old.
8) People 65 years and older who are increased risk for complications because of preexisting medical conditions.

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.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

General Health and Health Resources

In an emergency: Always try to call us first. See practitioners' pages for emergency numbers

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).

If you can't reach us in an emergency but are able to take a car or taxi, the Policlinico Gemelli on Monte Mario, the Policlinico Umberto I beyond the train station, the San Camillo behind Monteverde (a center of excellence for heart disease), and the Bambino Gesù children's hospital on the Gianicolo hill are public hospitals equipped to handle all true emergencies

Poison center hotlines: Policlinico Gemelli: 06 3054343; Policlinico Umberto 1: 06 49978000

Although the Rome American Hospital has an intensive care unit and can treat acute heart attacks etc., neither the RAH nor any other private
hospital has a real emergency room

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.

Special prescriptions: Almost all American and European medications are available here, though the brand name may be different. Not all pharmacies are fully stocked, so if you don't find something at one, try another. Be skeptical if a pharmacist says a medication is unavailable or "not made any more"; they may just be out of it. You can also ask them to look it up in the Informatore Farmaceutico, or try the Vatican Pharmacy (tel. 06 6989-0561).

Testing: Italian laboratories and outside consultants will by and large
expect immediate cash payment; go prepared. Results are usually picked up by the patient rather than being sent to your physician. A few of the testing facilities we use frequently:

Santo Volto Clinic, Piazza Tempio di Diana 12, tel. 06 5729921: you can arrange to have them send test results and x-rays directly to us
Salvator Mundi International Hospital, Via delle Mura Gianicolensi, tel. 06 588-961; open and functioning all day (not just mornings); will fax results to us on your request; will come draw blood at your home if you're too ill to move
Quarta Laboratory, Via G.B. De Rossi 22, tel. 06 4434241; will also come to your home.
Centro Diagnostico, Via Pigafetta 1, tel. 06 571-071
Villa Margherita Clinica, Via di Villa Massimo, 48, tel. 06 4423-3146:
particularly excellent imaging department (x-rays, sonography, CAT scans, MRIs...)

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:
Suicide hotline: the Samaritans, tel 06 70454444 or 800 860022
Alcoholics Anonymous: St. Paul's Church, tel 06 679-6600
Narcotics Anonymous, tel 06 860-4788
Overeaters Anonymous, tel 06 884-5105
Yoga instruction, massage, Alexander technique, relaxation therapy...Don't hesitate to ask.

Via Sant'Alberto Magno, 5 - 00153 Rome, Italy
tel./fax (+39) 06 5728-8349 - 06 5780738
hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM - 7:30 PM
email: info@aventinomedicalgroup.com