On November 10, a conference call was held with the heads of the bodies and territorial institutions of the Russian Federation, as well as the heads of the executive power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of health, under the leadership of the head of the Russian Federation Anna Popova. Questions regarding the progress of the flu vaccination campaign and the epidemiological situation were considered.
Currently, Russia is experiencing a seasonal increase in the incidence of respiratory infections, typical for this time of the year: in total, about 500-600 thousand cases of ARVI, influenza and COVID-19 are registered every week.
According to virological monitoring data, respiratory viruses that are not of influenza etiology still dominate the circulation. Moreover, in the last three weeks, the detection rate of the influenza virus has almost tripled, which is typical of a seasonal increase in the epidemic. Among circulating influenza viruses, A(H1N1) predominates. The flu viruses detected in circulation are completely compatible with the current season's vaccine strains.
Rospotrabendzor reminds you of the importance of annual flu vaccination. Influenza viruses are constantly mutating, changing and new strains appear, so the composition of the strains of the vaccine is updated every year in order to provide maximum protection against viruses circulating in the current season.
The head of the Russian Federation Anna Popova emphasized that the flu vaccine is especially recommended for people from high-risk groups - people with chronic diseases, young children and the elderly.
So far, 40.4 million people have been vaccinated against influenza as part of the All-Russian influenza vaccination campaign. In order to prevent a worsening of the epidemiological situation, the meeting was instructed to speed up the rate of vaccinations while paying special attention to the vaccination of risk groups, including occupational ones, and to strengthen the control of laboratory tests for the detection of influenza and COVID-19 of patients with ARVI symptoms. It was also recommended to strengthen the information work with the population.