Background: Pneumococcal disease is common cause of morbidity and mortality in adults and children worldwide. The severity of pneumococcal diseases determines their high socio-economic significance. Aims: Estimate the burden of pneumococcal infection and vaccination coverage in Russia. Methods: The data was obtained from federal surveillance system. The information obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics methods. Results: The annual incidence of community-acquired pneumonia in Russia was 491.7/100000 in 2011-2019. It ranges from 359.8/100000 among adults of working age to 1505.4/100000 among children 1-2 years old. The upward trend of incidence is observed throughout the period, most expressive among school-age children (7-17 years old). Total 29.2% of all pneumonia have an identified etiology. 94% of pneumonia with known etiology are bacterial, 8.4% among it are pneumococcal. Pneumonia accounts for 57% of all deaths from respiratory diseases among children under five (3.7/100000) and 34% among elderly. The death rate from pneumonia in 2009-2018 tends to decrease. In 2018, 25.5 thousand deaths from pneumonia were registered (17.5/100000). The highest rate is observed among children under one year (14.0 /100000) and elderly (41.2 /100000). There is a downward trend in incidence of otitis media. The incidence in children under 14 was 2612.6/100 000 in 2018. The incidence of bacterial meningitis is 1.4/100 000. Every year 2-3 thousand cases are registered, 43-52% of which are among children (3.04/100000., maximally in children under one year old, 13.2/100000). The level of vaccination against pneumococcal infection is increasing annually, but the proportion of children who have received a completed course of vaccination remains insufficient (64.6% in 2019). Coverage among the adult population was 2.3% (3.8% among those over 60). The main contingents of vaccinated adults are conscripts (coverage 67.4%) and people with chronic lung diseases (coverage 15.1%). Conclusions: The socio-economic and epidemiological burden of diseases associated with pneumococcal infection in Russia remains high. Accurate assessment of morbidity and mortality rates caused by St. pneumoniae diseases isnt possible due to the insufficient level of their ethological identification. Further efforts are required to achieve high level of herd immunity against pneumococcal infection through vaccine prevention during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background. The incidence of COVID-19 novel coronavirus infection has a wave-like pattern with surges in new cases followed by declines. Viral mutations, changes in viral properties, and new strains continue to emerge and are regularly reported.The aim of the study is to present a comparative analysis of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during different periods of the coronavirus infection pandemic in Moscow.Materials and methods. A two-center, retrospective observational epidemiological study was performed using medical records of patients hospitalized with the confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in Moscow from March 2020 to March 2022 (34,354 patients).Results. Within 2 years of the pandemic, there were significant differences in the age structure of hospitalized patients. During the early months (March–June 2020) of the pandemic, age groups of 18–45 and 46–65 yearolds accounted for higher percentages of hospitalizations. Later on (July 2020 – February 2021), the proportion of older age groups demonstrated an upward trend. From spring 2021 (the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 delta strain) to March 2022 (dominance of the omicron strain), the proportion of hospitalized working-age adults increased once again.The proportion of severe and critically severe cases among the patients hospitalized during different periods remained at steady levels: 7.7% (6.6–8.8%) and 5.5% (4.4–6.6%), respectively. The highest death rates were observed during the delta strain surge, while the lowest death rates were reported for the omicron strain. Throughout the pandemic, the older age and chronic diseases remained risk factors contributing to the severity of the disease and adverse outcomes.Conclusion. The emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 causing a shift of the need for hospitalization towards younger age groups, the persistent high rates of severe cases and death rates among people of retirement age are pressing for the unfailing readiness for implementing preventive and epidemic control measures focusing on the above groups of population.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of the population’s adherence to vaccination has become significantly aggravated around the world. This study is aimed at evaluating healthcare workers’ (HCWs) acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in Russia. A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried out by interviewing HCWs in Russia using an electronic questionnaire and snowball sampling. The analysis included 85,216 questionnaires from 81 out of 85 regions of Russia. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.22. The results indicated that 35.0% (CI 95%, 34.7–35.3) of HCWs were ready to get COVID-19 vaccination. The acceptance level was 42.4% (41.8–42.9) for all physicians and 31.3% (30.9–31.6) for nursing staff. A total of 29.4% (29.1–29.7) of HCWs were willing to recommend COVID-19 vaccination to patients: 38.5% (38.0–39.1) of physicians, and 24.7% (24.4–25.1) of nursing staff. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination is higher among HCWs dealing with infectious diseases and involved in vaccination. The low acceptance of HCWs toward vaccination against COVID-19 can be explained by the low level of awareness of HCWs in these issues. Additional educational programs are needed for HCWs, both for physicians and nurses, using all possible forms and methods of education.

Pneumococcal infection remains a significant global health problem, and vaccination is the main measure for its prevention. To date, the period of use of pneumococcal conjugated polysaccharide vaccines in Russia exceeds 14 years, and 13-valent conjugated polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) - more than 10 years. During this time, extensive experience has been accumulated in the use of this type of vaccines, and many studies have been carried out to evaluate their effectiveness and safety.The purpose of this review is to summarize the experience of using PCV13 in Russian Federation with an assessment of its epidemiological and clinical effectiveness. A search was made for scientific publications devoted to the study of the epidemiological efficacy, the safety as well as cost-effectiveness of PCV13 use in Russian Federation. The review included original studies published in Russian journals. The results of the studies carried out indicate the efficacy and safety of PCV13 for both adults and children. The effectiveness of immunization of children at risk (premature, suffering from congenital pathology, having chronic diseases and often ill) was demonstrated, the need and safety of the timely start of vaccination (from 2 months of age) of newborns was shown, the possibility of its combination with immunization against other infections within the framework of the national vaccination schedule, the importance of following the recommended vaccination schedule in accordance with the age of the child. The effectiveness of vaccination of adults suffering from chronic diseases has been shown both in terms of preventing the aggravation of the course of the underlying pathology and reducing the risk of pneumonia. Positive experience has been gained in immunizing adults from occupational risk groups - medical workers, conscripts and persons exposed to a harmful production factor and having occupational lung diseases. The conducted studies have shown a high cost-effectiveness of PCV13 vaccination, however, with any changes in price and epidemiological parameters, it is necessary to clarify the economic feasibility of vaccination under the changed conditions. Taking into account the positive experience gained in immunization, it seems appropriate to further maintain a high level of vaccination coverage of the child population, expanding risk groups among the adult population subject to vaccination against pneumococcal infection within the framework of the National Immunization Schedule, taking into account its epidemiological, clinical and economic efficiency.

Background.After inclusion of pneumococcal vaccination in the National Vaccination Schedule, it is very important to evaluate the efficacy of routine immunisation of the child population for more than 3 years. The obtained results provide opportunity to analyse the problems in achieving the goal, determine their causes, and suggest the ways of overcoming. Our aim was to study the results of a three-year period of pneumococcal vaccination of children.Methods.The quality of immunoprophylaxis of pneumococcal infection in the territory of the Russian Federation were assessed by analysing the coverage of vaccination and timeliness of its conduct after the inclusion of pneumococcal vaccine in the National Vaccination Schedule. The actual epidemiological efficacy of pneumococcal vaccination was assessed based on morbidity and mortality due to community-acquired pneumonia, incidence of acute otitis media among children. By questioning parents (n = 352) who applied to the Federal State Autonomous Institution of the Russian Federation Ministry of Health ‘National Medical Research Centre for Children’s Health, the timeliness of pneumococcal vaccination for infants was established.Results.In most regions, a high level of pneumococcal vaccination coverage was reached (87% of children). Despite the fact that the majority of children (73%) were vaccinated untimely. In particular, the results of a questionnaire survey conducted in the Moscow vaccination centre indicate insufficient awareness of parents for the need to vaccinate infants against pneumococcal infection by primary care professionals and, as a consequence, a low level of timely initiated vaccine introduction (40.1%). The introduction of routine prophylactic pneumococcal vaccination in Russia resulted in a 35% reduction in the death rate of children from community-acquired pneumonia, led to a decrease in the incidence of acute otitis media.Conclusion.The introduction of routine prophylactic vaccination of children against Streptococcus pneumoniae helps to reduce morbidity and mortality from pneumococcal infections. The surveillance system for community-acquired pneumonia requires further improvement. It is advisable to conduct an additional analysis on the reasons for refusals and medical exemptions to vaccination. It is important to increase the professional level of paediatricians in prophylactic vaccination.

Relevance. Pneumococcal infection remains one of the most significant health problems worldwide. Vaccination of adults against it has been carried out in the Russian Federation for over 10 years. During this time, more than 9 million people have been vaccinated. However, data on the level of coverage among adults of certain risk categories are not routinely collected. Our study in 2019 showed that it was low in most groups. Given the significant increase in the volume of vaccination over the past five years, it seems appropriate to conduct a study to assess changes in the level of coverage.Aim. To study the level of vaccination coverage against pneumococcal infection in adult risk groups in the Russian Federation.Materials and methods. An observational descriptive retrospective epidemiological study was conducted. Information on the number and contingents of people vaccinated against pneumococcal infection was collected by sending a request to the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of healthcare. The depth of data collection was 8 years (from 2015 to 2023 inclusive), information was received from 74 out of 89 regions. In addition, federal statistical observation forms were used: No. 5 «Information on preventive vaccinations» and No. 6 «Information on the contingents of children and adults vaccinated against infectious diseases», data from the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System. The results obtained were compared with the indicators obtained in the 2019 study, which was conducted according to a similar design. The analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics methods.Results. The coverage rate of vaccination against pneumococcal infection among the adult population in the Russian Federation increased from 1.5% in 2018 to 7.7% in 2023. The most significant coverage rates were achieved among persons subject to conscription for military service (78.5%) and persons over 60 years old, living in residential care facilities (87.7%). By 2023, vaccination coverage has increased among the following risk categories: individuals with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases (from 15.1% in 2018 to 47.9% in 2023), chronic heart diseases (from 3.8% to 17.0%), patients with endocrine diseases (from 1.1% to 17.6%), liver diseases (from 4.0% to 12.0%), healthcare workers (from 4.9% to 19.7%), school and preschool employees (from 3.1% to 12.9%), employees of residential care facilities (homes for elderly, nursing homes, ect.) (from 0.1% to 26.9%), the elderly population as a whole (from 1.4% to 12.7%), and working-age men (from 1.4% to 7.0%). There was virtually no increase in coverage among all groups of immunocompromised patients (1.0% in 2018, 6.2% in 2023), the working population with risk factors harmful to the respiratory system (0.9% in 2018, 5.0% in 2023), workers in the oil and gas and chemical industries (1.3% in 2018, 1.8% in 2023).Conclusion. The obtained results indicate the need to develop a strategy of measures to promote increased vaccination coverage in risk groups that are insufficiently covered by vaccination against pneumococcal infection.