The Russian Ministry of Health has included the COVID-19 vaccine in the vaccination calendar according to epidemiological indications
Photo: Pavel Lisitsyn / RIA Novosti
The Russian Ministry of Health approved a national vaccination calendar, as well as a vaccination calendar for epidemiological indications, including the COVID-19 vaccination. The order was published on the official Internet portal of legal information.
The order was signed by the Minister of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko.
To approve the national calendar of preventive vaccinations in accordance with Appendix No. 1; the calendar of preventive vaccinations for epidemic indications in accordance with Appendix No. 2
Ministry of Health of Russia
According to the document, the first-level priority for compulsory vaccination against coronavirus includes Russians over 60 years old, medical workers, social services and education workers, people with chronic diseases, and citizens who live in cities with a population of over one million.
Vaccination of adolescents
The Ministry of Health also introduced coronavirus vaccination for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in the national vaccination schedule for epidemic indications. It is noted that it will be carried out voluntarily and with a written application from one of the parents or legal representative.
Earlier in December, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko noted that vaccination of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from coronavirus will begin in Russia by the end of this year. Murashko also stated that studies of a COVID-19 vaccine for children from 6 to 11 years old could begin in Russia in early 2022.
The danger of coronavirus for adolescents and the need to get vaccinated was announced in early December by infectious disease doctor Andrei Pozdnyakov. According to him, the spread of the delta strain has led to the fact that adolescents have become more sick and less likely to recover from the infection. In addition, fatalities were recorded.
Vaccination of adolescents is needed to protect them from the severe course of infection and to protect those around them, for whom they can become a source of infection. Since the spread of the “delta” strain of the virus, adolescents have also become more difficult to tolerate the infection: moderate and severe cases of the course with lung damage have appeared
Andrey PozdnyakovInfectious Disease Doctor
“Gam-COVID-Vac M”
At the end of November, Murashko, during the presidium of the Coordination Council under the government to combat COVID-19, said that the first series of the Gam-COVID-Vac M vaccine for adolescents had been produced in Russia – it is expected that it will go into civil circulation in 15-18 days … According to the minister, the drug has already been delivered to state laboratories for control.
The registration in Russia of the COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents was reported on November 24, its second name is “Sputnik M”. According to the results of clinical trials, the drug has high efficacy and safety. The vaccine was created on the same platform as Sputnik V, it is two-component – the interval between vaccinations should be 21 days.
According to the head of the Gamaleya Center Alexander Gintsburg, after the application of “Gam-COVID-Vac M” there was only an increase in body temperature to 37.4 degrees on the next day after vaccination.
Nasal vaccines
On December 20, it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Health authorized the Generium company to conduct clinical trials of a vaccine against coronavirus. In October, the pharmaceutical company developed and applied for clinical trials of a nasal form of the COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine, which is injected into a patient through the nose and is tolerated much milder than intramuscular vaccination. It is estimated that 1,320 volunteers will take part in the study. They are planned to be completed on December 31, 2023.
Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, noted in October that two nasal vaccines against coronavirus based on the domestic drug Sputnik V may appear in Russia. He clarified that the license to develop the second drug was filed by Generium. Their vaccine will be in its own form as liquid drops with a stabilizer.
“Live vaccine”
Scientists and doctors, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), are warning of the dangers of the omicron strain of the coronavirus. WHO Representative in Russia Melita Vujnovich, in turn, said that the omicron strain of the coronavirus could become a “live vaccine” against COVID-19 and help defeat the pandemic. She noted that such an outcome is possible, but stressed that at the moment it is too early to talk about it, since there are not enough patients with omicron.
We have to wait at least a week or a week and a half so that we can say for sure … A big surge in a short period can lead to paralysis of the healthcare system if there are a lot of cases. And this is what we fear
Melita Vujnovich WHO Representative in Russia
Vujnovic also expressed the hope that those who fell ill with the new strain would not have such a serious clinical picture as those who fell ill with the delta. She expressed the hope that now there will be a drug that will be effective against omicron.
