The 2023/2024 season quadrivalent influenza vaccine manufactured by Sanofi has been delivered to pharmacies and private clinics.
According to Sanofi in its press release, the influenza vaccine supplied to Ukraine is suitable for protecting adults, including pregnant women, as well as adolescents and children aged 6 months and older. In addition, it provides passive protection for infants up to 6 months of age when administered to pregnant women.
According to Anna Pastushyna, Head of Sanofi Vaccines in Ukraine, the 2022/2023 season saw an increased demand for vaccines due to the high prevalence of influenza after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
“The company plans to fulfill its obligations to supply influenza vaccine in the countries where it operates,” she emphasized.
For his part, Fedir Lapiy, head of the National Technical Group of Experts on Immunization, noted that “influenza can worsen a number of pre-existing chronic respiratory disorders, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”
“Adults over the age of 40 are eight times more likely to have a first stroke after being infected with influenza, while in children under 14, influenza increases the risk of pneumonia eightfold. Almost every third elderly person hospitalized with influenza develops pneumonia. And for people with diabetes, the risk of hospitalization during the flu epidemic is six times higher,” he said.
As reported, according to the Center for Public Health (CDC), 3.9 million cases of influenza and more than 140 thousand hospitalizations caused by the influenza virus were reported during the previous flu season of 2022/2023 (from September 2022 to April 2023).
“Sanofi is an innovative global healthcare company operating in 100 countries.
As reported, 151,100 thousand doses of the French influenza vaccine and 114.6 thousand doses of the Korean vaccine will be supplied in the 2023/24 epidemic season.
The French-made quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine has passed quality control and will be delivered to pharmacies in the near future.
According to the website of the Ministry of Health, 15,100 doses of the vaccine have received a positive conclusion on compliance with the requirements of national and international standards.
Earlier, 114600 doses of the Korean-made vaccine were approved by the State Service.
The agency clarifies that approximately 6 million infectious diseases are registered in Ukraine every year, 98% of which are influenza and ARVI. The increase in the incidence is traditionally expected from the 40th week, that is, from the beginning of October.
Over 340,000 doses of influenza vaccines will be delivered to Ukraine in the current epidemiological season, Mikhail Radutsky, head of the parliamentary committee for the nation’s health, medical care and medical insurance, said.
In his Telegram channel on Tuesday, he specified that the Ministry of Health had reached an agreement with partners on the supply of 163,000 doses of the Vaxigripp vaccine from Sanofi as humanitarian aid and 30,000 doses of this vaccine as part of the PIVI project. In total, 193,000 doses of flu vaccines will be delivered to the country as aid.
In addition, according to Radutsky, in the current epidemiological season, 150,000 doses of the vaccine will be delivered to the private market of Ukraine – 100,000 GisiFlu and 50,000 Vaxigripp.
“Last year, more than 1 million doses of flu vaccines were purchased on the private market. This year, 150,000 doses are expected to be delivered. But if there is demand, I think private companies will buy more,” he added.
Radutsky also said that the Vaxigripp vaccine has already arrived at some pharmacies. At the same time, its cost is almost the same as last year – 300-400 UAH.
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Health, 4.7 million Ukrainians are recommended to be vaccinated against influenza for health reasons and medical indicators. Due to martial law and limited funding for public procurement, the critical need for vaccination of risk groups is set at 250,000 doses.
The risk group includes doctors, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine and pregnant women. They, according to applications from family doctors, if they wish, will be able to receive a flu shot free of charge.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the use of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines adapted to protect against the Omicron coronavirus strain, the regulator said on Thursday.
The EMA Medicines Committee has recommended that two vaccines adapted for broader protection against COVID-19 be allowed to be used.
It notes that we are talking about vaccines aimed specifically at protecting against “omicron”.
According to the report, studies have shown that adapted versions of the vaccine “induce a strong immune response against Omicron and the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 in people who were previously vaccinated.”
Now the recommendation of the EMA committee will be sent to the European Commission, which “will make a final legally binding decision applicable in all EU member states”
Kharkiv region is provided with CoronaVac vaccine, in addition, the region received a batch of Comirnaty Tris vaccines from Pfizer and a batch of Janssen vaccines is expected, the press service of the regional military administration reports.
“The region has received 14,000 doses of the Comirnaty Tris vaccine from Pfizer. More than 6,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine are also expected. In addition, today the region is supplied with the CoronaVac vaccine in sufficient quantities,” the message says.
According to the director of the HOVA Health Department Maxim Khaustov, in Kharkiv you can get vaccinated in polyclinics, in the region – in other medical institutions. You can get both the first or second dose, as well as a booster or additional. The technical possibility of entering the new Comirnaty Tris vaccine into the Electronic Health System and uploading updated covid certificates to Diya will become available from next week.
Khaustov noted that a new wave of COVID-19 is already beginning in Europe and urged residents of the region to get vaccinated.
“I remind you that the only effective way to counter the disease is vaccination … Depending on which vaccine was made first, you can do a booster dose of both Janssen, which is a vector vaccine, and Comirnaty Tris, which is an mRNA vaccine,” Khaustov said. .
According to him, since the beginning of the vaccination campaign in the region, about 2 million 850 thousand vaccinations have been made, while more than 1 million 100 thousand people have been vaccinated with two doses. Since February 24, 50,000 vaccinations have been made in the region, of which about 40,000 are booster doses.
Since February 24, 20 people have died from complications caused by COVID-19.
Ukraine, with financial support from the U.S. government, will receive $2.8 million worth of refrigeration equipment for storing COVID-19 vaccines at primary health care facilities and when using by mobile teams.
According to a press release from UNICEF, which supplied the equipment, funds for the purchase of the equipment were provided by USAID.
Some 3,100 vaccination points, 1,034 of which operate on the basis of primary health care facilities, and 800 mobile teams, will receive equipment.
The equipment includes 5,643 thermal containers, 8,100 thermal bags, 197,730 ice packs and 27,486 temperature monitoring devices.
The first batch of equipment was delivered on September 30 and includes 2,700 thermal bags in which COVID-19 vaccines can be stored at temperatures from +2 to + 8 ° C.
In the future, this equipment can be used for the transportation and storage of vaccines provided for by the national immunization schedule.
Currently, USAID has allocated about $10 million to support vaccinations in Ukraine and donated almost $2.2 million of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine as part of the COVAX mechanism.
