Description of the website

The EpiCentro website provides information on various Public Health topics. One of its main sections is dedicated to the promotion of vaccination and to vaccine safety. In these pages visitors can find information about specific vaccine-preventable diseases (diagnosis, complications, epidemiology and surveillance), and the vaccines used to prevent them (including how they work and what they contain, which are the available vaccines, the main national and international strategies to promote vaccination, and data on international and national vaccine coverage).

Vaccine information is presented in various formats including general information sheets, news, comments by ISS experts, links to scientific articles and to surveillance reports, recommendations, fact sheets, risk assessments, press releases initiatives, projects, and other useful tools published by Italian national or regional health authorities or others, such as the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Website’s sponsorship policy

EpiCentro is sponsored by the ISS, without any external or commercial sponsor.

The information about EpiCentro’s privacy policy and disclaimer can be found at: https://www.epicentro.iss.it/chi-siamo/privacy and https://www.epicentro.iss.it/chi-siamo/disclaimer

Website’s content or editorial policy

EpiCentro is aimed at delivering updated information and services regarding public health topics to health professionals, epidemiologists, regional and local health authorities. The website is updated every week.

Weekly themes are selected by the editorial staff, following a search in national and international institutional web sites, scientific journals, etc. The editorial staff then write news and articles that are submitted to ISS experts for scientific review and authorization.

EpiCentro also publishes – following approval by ISS experts – local reports sent by Italian local and regional health authorities or professionals and comments by ISS or external experts on relevant public health topics.

Date of most recent evaluation: June 2016.