2023-06-30 12:49:00
Residents of the Russian Federation are practically not vaccinated against two serious infections, unlike Europeans and Americans.
Our country occupies one of the last places in European countries in terms of vaccination against pneumococcus. In 2021, only about 5% of Russians over the age of 18, who are at risk for the incidence of these infections, were vaccinated. Such data are provided by Rosstat. In the US and UK, this figure reaches and exceeds 60%.
The problem is that pneumococcus is the main causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia, otitis media, sepsis, meningitis and rhinosinusitis. In addition, it is difficult to identify, which only increases the danger. The bacteria infect the human respiratory system, causing community-acquired pneumonia. At the same time, not every laboratory can determine the presence of pneumococcus in the analyzes.
– Pneumococcus is responsible for a number of deaths that is comparable to the number of deaths recorded annually in the world from tuberculosis, AIDS and infective endocarditis combined. This is about one and a half million deaths, – commented to the agency URA.RU Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation and Head of the Department of Pulmonology of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education Alexander Sinopalnikov.
During the years of the pandemic, the efforts of physicians were thrown into the study and fight against the new Covid-19 virus. Therefore, infections that also affect the human lungs have faded into the background.
– Those who have been ill with coronavirus have become to a certain extent more vulnerable to previously known diseases, including pneumococcal ones. COVID is a viral infection that weakens the immune system. At the time of any disease, such exposure can affect its severity, – said the chief freelance pulmonologist of the Ural Federal District, Doctor of Science and director of the Institute of Pulmonology of the South Ural State Medical University Galina Ignatova in an interview with URA.RU.
In Russia, vaccination against pneumococcus is not mandatory among the adult population, even if the person is at risk and may die after infection. Doctors assure that vaccination against this infection is highly desirable. There are two types of vaccines: polysaccharide and conjugated.
The first option began to be used in the 1970s. Cons – polysaccharides are not real proteins, so protection is lost after the first vaccination, which means that vaccination is needed again. The second option, later, contains protein. Due to this, the vaccine is administered only once to children aged 2 years and older and adults.
– It consists of 13 serotypes of pneumococcus, that is, 13 different types of it. The immunity formed after the introduction is persistent. The so-called immune memory is created. This vaccine is known to doctors as Prevenar 13, Alexander Sinopalnikov explained.
Vaccination is recommended for people over 65 years of age, patients with diabetes mellitus, asthma, chronic heart failure, diffuse diseases of the liver and kidneys.
Recall that in May, WHO announced that the status of a pandemic for COVID-19 was officially lifted. This was announced by the head of the world department Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The coronavirus was given the status of a global pandemic at the beginning of 2020, when mass infections of the planet’s inhabitants began.
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