Large-scale Grippol® plus immunization launched in Belarus
On October 1st, a massive influenza immunization campaign was launched in the Republic of Belarus. This year, for free immunization, Grippol® plus vaccine is used supplied by Petrovax Pharm (Russia).
In 2017, the planned influenza immunization scope is at least 40% of Belarus population, or more than 3.8M people, and up to 75% of the risk-group populations pursuant to the National Immunization Schedule of the Republic of Belarus (NIS of RB).
Grippol® plus has been used within the NIS of RB framework since 2015. Over the past three years, Petrovax Pharm supplied to Belarus more than 10M vaccine doses for free influenza immunization. Due to the recommended immunization rate, no influenza epidemics or disease-related lethal cases have been recorded over the past few years[1].
In September 2017, the Republic’s scientific and practical workshop with foreign participants “Current Issues of Immunization and Epidemiology Surveillance of Vaccine-Managed Infections” in Minsk presented the results of Grippol® plus multicenter epidemiology study conducted in 2016. In total, 12,308 subjects were enrolled into the study, including 5,400 schoolchildren aged 6 to 17 years, in Minsk, Grodno, and Vitebsk. “The study demonstrated a 1.5-2.9-fold reduction in ARI cases in the groups of the immunized subjects vs. those not immunized,” noted Natalya Shmelyova, Head of Laboratory of Influenza and Flu-Like Diseases, Republic's Research and Practice Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Belarus. The expert went on to say that the overall ARI morbidity was 2.3 times lower in the immunized children than in those not immunized. Immunized schoolchildren were 2.3-3.6 times less likely to contract respiratory infections two or more times in a season. “Grippol® plus immunization demonstrates efficacy and high safety profile, and provides for a significant reduction in respiratory infection recurrence in the immunized population,” emphasized the expert.
Influenza immunization has been on the NIS of RB since 2012; immunization is free for risk-group populations, including children aged 6+ months to 3 years, subjects with chronic diseases and immunosuppression, pregnant women, subjects aged 65 and over, adults and children at round-the-clock stay institutions, and state officials.
[1] http://rcheph.by/news/ostrye-respiratornye-virusnye-infektsii-i-gripp-effektivnost-vaktsinatsii.html
https://rg.ru/2016/10/12/za-poslednie-gody-v-belorussii-ne-bylo-zafiksirovano-epidemij-grippa.html
https://mamochki.by/news/2016-01-27/2254/eypidemii_grippa_v_belarusi_net.html;
