[Immunization in the 3rd, 5th and 11th month of age: an Italian intuition]

In Italy a vaccination schedule with three doses in the 3rd, 5th and 11th month of age is currently used. Often 1968, or even earlier, is considered as the year of the introduction of this schema. In 1966, antipolio vaccine become compulsory for all infants in the 1st year of life and in 1968 tetanus vaccine, together with diphtheria, in the 2nd year. In 1972 trivalent polio vaccine was proposed in the 3rd, 5th and 11th month of age, but only in 1981 the official schedule was stated by law. In Europe there are many different vaccination schedules and now efforts are made to find possible integration. Italian schedule allows to combine good immunogenicity with less administrations for better compliance and coverage.