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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia’s preventive immunization strategy has all key priorities - WHO representative

According to the WHO representative, it is planned to tell the WHO’s European office about Russia’s national strategy

© EPA-EFE/GIUSEPPE LAMI

MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russia’s strategy of preventive immunization against infectious diseases has all key priorities in this sphere and is ahead of the European plan of action that is being discussed, Melita Vujnovic, WHO representative in Russia, said on Friday.

"The current European strategy and plan of action expire in 2020. Discussion of a new strategy is underway. Russia’s national strategy has outstripped the European one and we can say that it contains all the key priorities," she said at a roundtable meeting on state policies in the area of preventive immunization against infectious diseases at the Federation Council upper parliament house.

According to the WHO representative, it is planned to tell the WHO’s European office about Russia’s national strategy. "I want to say that we hope very much that the Russian health ministry will share its strategy at the level of the European region," she noted. "I can say that Russia has raised the bar and the WHO must reach it too."

A major priority of the immunization strategy is a vaccination plan, Vujnovic recalled. "Russia has a colossal experience in terms of vaccination against flu and we expect it to share this experience with Europe. We hope that Russian experts will join WHO activities in the European region at all levels," she added.

According to the Russian government’s press service, the 15-year strategy of preventive immunization against infectious diseases is geared to prevent a number of infections, such as diphtheria, measles, rubella, viral hepatitis B, seasonal flu. It envisages inoculation of at least 95% of the population.

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