The Russian Ministry of Health has updated its guidance on preventive vaccination against the coronavirus, advising that revaccination should occur within a 12‑month window after the previous dose. The new directive, reportedly signed by the department’s head, Mikhail Murashko, was reported by TASS. [Attribution: Russian Ministry of Health]
Annex 3 to the order now specifies a clear statement: revaccination against SARS‑CoV‑2 should be completed no later than one year after the prior vaccination. This addition is being presented as part of a broader effort to standardize protections across the population and to ensure timely updates to immunity in the face of evolving variants. [Attribution: Health ministry briefing]
The measure is set to take effect on September 1, 2024, and is planned to remain in force until September 1, 2030. The period is framed as a long‑term policy horizon intended to maintain a steady level of population protection while responses to the pandemic are continuously reviewed. [Attribution: official policy document]
Earlier, Alexander Gintsburg, director of the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology at the Russian Ministry of Health, noted that more than 290,000 doses of the updated Sputnik Light vaccine had been dispatched to various regions of the country. This distribution underscores ongoing efforts to ensure readiness and vaccine accessibility in different territories. [Attribution: National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology]
Additionally, the ministry extended the temporary framework for organizing the work of medical institutions through January 1, 2025. This framework is designed to support preventive measures and reduce the risk of COVID‑19 spread, with the latest extension having taken effect on December 31, 2023. [Attribution: Ministry of Health notice]
Separately, physicians have clarified mistaken claims about a link between asthma and severe COVID‑19 in children. The clarification emphasizes that such associations require careful, ongoing study and should be interpreted with caution in clinical practice. [Attribution: healthcare communications]