The incidence of measles in Russia has increased hundreds of times over the past year

In Russia, over the nine months of 2023, 288 times more cases of measles were detected than a year earlier, according to data from Rospotrebnadzor. Experts attribute the rapid increase to the effects of the pandemic, a shortage of measles vaccines in Russia, growing anti-vaccination sentiment, and the traditions of some ethnic and religious groups. Rospotrebnadzor claims that the situation is under control, and over the past four months there has been a “steady downward trend in the incidence rate.”

From January to September 2023, 8,073 cases of measles were detected in Russia – compared to the same period last year, the increase was 28,732% (288 times), according to data from Rospotrebnadzor, Medvestnik was the first to notice. The majority of cases (4989 people) are children under 14 years of age. According to statistics, the current dynamics of the incidence and the number of infected people is a record minimum since 2015, when 862 cases were identified. This year’s incidence rates are twice as high as the previous record over the past few years (in 2019, about 4 thousand cases were recorded in January-September).

The incidence of other vaccine-preventable infections is also increasing. Thus, whooping cough “increased” over nine months by 1096%, to 20 thousand cases, of which 17.4 thousand cases were children under 14 years of age. The incidence of chickenpox increased by 18%, to 580 thousand cases.

Rospotrebnadzor said that in 2023 there will be “another cyclical rise, traditional for measles.” In a number of regions of the Russian Federation, an increase in incidence is observed mainly among unvaccinated citizens, including those arriving from neighboring countries, the department’s press service clarified. Thus, group outbreaks of the disease throughout the year were observed among the “gypsy population and religious communities that refuse vaccinations.” In the Kursk region, in particular, in June, an outbreak of measles was discovered in the local community of Evangelical Christian Baptists. In the Sverdlovsk region, 91.2% of the sick were not vaccinated against measles.

Since April 2023, clean-up immunization has been carried out throughout the country – vaccination of unvaccinated children and adults who have not had measles, as well as children and adults vaccinated once. To date, 77.5% of those subject to immunization have been vaccinated during the current campaign, the department specified. “Thus, over the past four months there has been a steady downward trend in the incidence of measles,” the department reported.

The only way to protect yourself from measles is vaccination. According to the vaccination schedule, children are vaccinated at the age of 12 months and six years. Adults over 25 years of age are recommended to get a booster vaccine every ten years. “There are many parents who refuse to vaccinate their child. These mothers and fathers often fall under the influence of so-called anti-vaxxers, jeopardizing the health of their children,” Regina Grigorieva, a leading pediatrician and deputy chief physician of the Nearmedic clinic, reflects on the reasons for the increase in morbidity. “Powerful propaganda from anti-vaxxers is one of the main problems.” . “Kommersant” talked about a survey among doctors of the professional service “Aktion Medicine” on the topic of refusing vaccinations. The study showed that 58% of surveyed doctors regularly face reluctance to take advantage of free vaccinations for children in maternity hospitals and clinics. 78% of respondents indicated that they most often refuse DTP – adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine. In second place (42%) are the Mantoux test and Diaskintest. In third place is BCG, a vaccine against tuberculosis (38%). This is followed by oral polio vaccine (36%) and measles vaccine (33%). And 15% of doctors responded that they had encountered cases of refusal of all these vaccinations.

Regina Grigorieva adds that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the decrease in the number of medical and social services provided for children. In particular, in 2020, she cites WHO data, 23 million children were not vaccinated, which is 3.7 million more than in 2019. Another reason, according to Ms. Grigorieva, is the shortage of vaccines, which has been observed in Russia for six months. Olga Shuppo, the scientific director of the Grand Clinic network of immunorehabilitation and preventive medicine clinics, agrees with her: “The outbreak of measles was quite expected given the shortage of vaccines. With the onset of sanctions, foreign vaccines disappeared, and domestic vaccines for measles, rubella, and mumps are unavailable. You can’t find it in private clinics, nor in clinics.”

Data collected by Kommersant in a number of regions confirms the shortage of drugs. Thus, in Transbaikalia, the measles vaccine is not available in some cities, in particular in Chita. The regional Ministry of Health assures that vaccine supplies in an amount of more than 8 thousand doses are expected no later than November 25. In the Leningrad region, there is a temporary shortage of combined measles vaccines, the regional health committee told Kommersant. Deliveries are expected in November-December. In the Stavropol Territory, complaints from parents about the inability to vaccinate their children have been received since the beginning of the year. The regional Ministry of Health purchased about 40 thousand doses of measles vaccine back in January. At the same time, according to the vaccination calendar, about 80 thousand people should be vaccinated. The issue of using a combination drug against measles, rubella and mumps is especially acute. The drug is expected to be available at the end of November.

RNC Pharma development director Nikolai Bespalov says that the production of measles vaccines in Russia “is proceeding at a slower pace than before.” “And since the incidence is growing, the demand for this drug has also increased,” explains Mr. Bespalov. The chief freelance specialist in infectious diseases of the Russian Ministry of Health, Vladimir Chulanov, confirms that difficulties with the availability of certain types of vaccines in certain medical organizations, noted in a number of regions, were largely associated with an increase in the need for them in 2023. “However, this could not have a significant impact on the epidemic situation formed as a result of the accumulation in the population of a sufficiently large number of people who had not previously been vaccinated against measles,” says Mr. Chulanov. “Supplies of measles vaccines to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are carried out in accordance with the approved schedule “

Natalya Kostarnova; regional corset “Kommersant”