The World Immunization Week, held annually at the end of April, serves as a crucial reminder of the vital role vaccines play in protecting lives and ensuring a healthy future for our children. In an interview with “VM,” Marina Fedoseenko, Candidate of Medical Sciences and head of the department for developing scientific approaches to immunization of patients with health deviations and chronic diseases, shared insights on current vaccination issues and Moscow’s leading practices in this field.
— Marina Vladislavovna, the National Preventive Vaccination Calendar (NPVC) for children under 18 currently covers 12 infections, including Hepatitis B, tuberculosis, pneumococcal infection, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and influenza. How complete is this list, and what infections are expected to be added in the coming years?
The current list of 12 vaccine-preventable infections in the national vaccination calendar is no longer fully sufficient, a fact evident to any pediatrician or immunization specialist. With the spread of various infections and the widespread use of modern, life-saving vaccines, most developed countries immunize against 15-17 infectious diseases, aligning with WHO recommendations.
— Which infections are important to include in the NPVC for children under 18?
Primarily, this includes prevention of meningococcal infection, which many parents concerned about their children’s health have heard of. Meningococcal infection develops rapidly and has a dramatic outcome. Mortality and severe complications are high among young children, with death occurring just hours after the onset of symptoms.
Additionally, vaccination against rotavirus infection for infants and against chickenpox in the second year of life should become a mandatory part of the domestic vaccination calendar. Furthermore, following the pandemic, whooping cough remains a significant concern, necessitating improvements in its vaccination strategy.
— What of these infections might be included in the near future?
Considering the current Strategy for the Development of Immunoprophylaxis until 2035, which identifies improving the national vaccination calendar as a key objective, we anticipate an expansion of the list of preventable infections in the coming years, focusing on several priority areas. Specifically, the Roadmap for the Strategy’s implementation foresees the inclusion of vaccinations against meningococcal and HPV infections in the domestic vaccination calendar within the next two years.
— Despite the NPVC covering only 12 infections, regions can approve their own regional calendars. What additional infections and groups are included, for example, in the Moscow calendar?
Indeed, regional vaccination calendars are a practical and important tool for expanding public immune protection. Moscow serves as an exemplary model in this regard, consistently building a vaccination system that goes far beyond the federal minimum.
The Moscow regional calendar includes five additional infections, bringing it closer to the immunization programs of leading countries. These include vaccination against rotavirus infection, meningococcal infection, hepatitis A, and chickenpox for children, as well as HPV vaccination for girls aged 12-13 and a booster for whooping cough at 6-7 years old.
Moreover, in Moscow and the Moscow region, as part of the State Guarantees Program, immunoprophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is actively carried out for children at high risk of infection, including premature infants and children with congenital heart defects and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Moscow was one of the first regions in Russia to launch such a program, which began its phased implementation in 2010 and now covers all young Muscovites with risk factors, providing the expensive medication free of charge.
— Regarding the importance of immunoprophylaxis, what results can be highlighted using RSV immunization as an example?
The Moscow RSV immunization program, provided free of charge by the Moscow Department of Health, is a living example of how systematic, well-designed immunoprophylaxis can transform the epidemiological landscape of a common infection. Nearly 15 years of program implementation have yielded compelling results: hospitalizations of at-risk children have decreased by 50%, the incidence of RSV among immunized children has significantly reduced, and the mortality rate from lower respiratory tract infections has decreased fourfold. It is also important to mention the off-season approach to RSV infection immunoprophylaxis, implemented in Moscow and most Russian regions, given that in the current epidemiological situation, illness continues to be registered during the spring and summer periods.
Behind this positive statistics are real children’s lives. Moscow has proven: investing in prevention is investing in life.