Dmitry Lioznov said new influenza strains are circulating in Russia and immunity after vaccination takes at least two weeks to develop.
Dmitry Lioznov, director of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, urged children, pregnant women, older people and people with chronic illnesses to get vaccinated against influenza in advance.
Lioznov said all three components of this season’s vaccines had been updated. He linked the changes to the emergence of new strains against which the population has not yet developed immunity. The expert said immunity takes at least two weeks to develop after vaccination, so people should plan ahead.
He described the current influenza situation in Russia as stable and said domestic manufacturers fully meet the country’s demand for vaccines. According to Lioznov, Russian-made vaccines have been used for preventive immunization for five years.