The Minister of Health of Mordovia, Oleg Markin, addressed the residents of the republic.
– We all waited for the stabilization of the epidemiological situation, and all restrictions would be lifted in Mordovia. This time has come, the restrictions have been lifted, some of them are now advisory in nature. But now the coronavirus infection is rearing its head again. If two or three weeks ago up to 4 thousand patients with positive PCR tests for COVID-19 were registered in Russia, now this figure has exceeded 6.5 thousand.
In addition, a new subtype of the Omicron strain, the Centaur strain, has been registered, which is more contagious than other Omicron variants. The coronavirus hasn’t gone away. And how the epidemiological situation in Mordovia will develop depends largely on us. Why is the incidence growing, why do new mutations of the coronavirus appear? This is due to the very low rate of immunization, both in Russia as a whole and in Mordovia. Collective immunity in the republic is only 20%, with a target value of 80% of the adult population. This creates conditions for the spread of coronavirus and for the possibility of its mutations.
Today, in the period of epidemiological well-being, all the health care forces of Mordovia are aimed at strengthening outpatient work, at preventive medical examinations. It was resumed from March 9 in order to detect chronic diseases at the earliest possible stage.
If we do not increase the rate of vaccination, then another wave of coronavirus will come. We all remember the autumn and winter of 2020 and 2021, how difficult it was for doctors and patients then. Now, in order to achieve collective immunity in the required volume, we need to initially vaccinate another 35,000 people. In addition, nearly 85,000 people need to be re-vaccinated.
I would like to appeal to the residents of Mordovia, who have already been vaccinated, but did not come for re-vaccination after 6 months. Now you are just as vulnerable as people who have not been vaccinated at all! If we do not use this quiet time to vaccinate, the next wave will inevitably come to us, but our society will not be protected from new variants of Omicron.
I note that according to WHO forecasts, three completely new strains of the influenza A and B virus are expected this fall and winter. For the previous two years, we adequately passed the influenza vaccination, and almost no cases of this viral infection were recorded in Mordovia. This year we need to get vaccinated again. The flu vaccine will arrive in Mordovia in the second half of August. You can get vaccinated against the flu and the coronavirus at the same time.
Believe me, if we want to continue walking without masks, we need to listen to the recommendations of doctors and get vaccinated. So that doctors can continue to help the population in a normal mode, come to get vaccinated. Good health to all!