The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus vaccine should primarily be given to people at risk, older people, teachers, and citizens working in closed groups. This opinion was expressed in an interview with TASS by the director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia Alexander Gunzburg.
“This issue should be decided by the Ministry of Health. If you ask me, then I think it’s good to instill teachers, then pensioners, and, if possible, all organized groups: at large construction sites, in barracks, in dormitories. Everywhere where people live crowded and breathe the same air, ”said the specialist.
According to him, chronic autoimmune diseases can serve as a contraindication for vaccination, therefore, before administering the drug, everyone should get advice on this issue from a general practitioner who will analyze the person’s history.
Gunzburg noted that vaccination against coronavirus will not interfere with other vaccinations, including seasonal ones, but this process should be diluted in time for at least two to three weeks. The head of the Gamaleya Center added that the children's vaccine against coronavirus can be tested six months after receiving the necessary positive experience of the drug in adults.
“This is not my point of view, I am actually retelling the existing law in my own words. We are now preparing documentation so that within six months, when all the formalities related to studying the experience of using this vaccine in adults are completed, we will go with our pediatric colleagues to the possibility of vaccinating children already, ”the specialist said.
He explained that vaccine studies for children will also be phased and in different age groups. As the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova noted, special safety requirements are imposed on the children's vaccine, so it’s premature to say that the drug will be ready this year.
Gunzburg previously reported that the developed vaccine should be submitted for registration in early August, and by the middle of the month the drug could go to special facilities. The expert noted the importance of consolidating the success achieved in the fight against coronavirus due to the continuing danger of an increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in the country.
“Now there is no peak, but still this situation does not suit us when new infected, lethal cases appear ... Those successes that we have achieved through enormous efforts as a result of quarantine measures need to be urgently fixed by vaccination,” Gunzburg emphasized.
He added that until a large part of the population develops immunity to the disease, the authorities will have to balance between preventing a new wave of coronavirus and actions to support the economy, including the work of the tourism sector.
“This fine line goes all the time: a little bit to allow, a little bit to ban. All the time I’m thinking through a couple of steps forward, to which country to allow, to which to ban, how much to take out, how much to check and so on, ”the specialist summed up.
New data on the incidence in the Russian Federation
Over the past day in Russia revealed 6109 new cases of coronavirus infection. According to the operational headquarters, 24.8% of new patients with COVID-19 did not have clinical manifestations of the disease.
In the previous two days in the Russian Federation, the diagnosis was confirmed in 6234 and 6406 people. In total, 771,546 cases of coronavirus were registered in Russia, about 208 thousand of which remain active.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 550,344 people have recovered in Russia, including 3,481 over the past 24 hours. At the same time, 12,342 people died from complications that developed against the background of coronavirus infection and concomitant diseases. 95 patients died per day.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, almost 25 million tests for COVID-19 were carried out in Russia, more than 314 thousand of which were completed over the past 24 hours. 273,737 people remain under medical supervision.
According to the headquarters, in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug no new cases of coronavirus were recorded. Among the regions with the smallest increase in the number of cases - Moscow, Moscow Region, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Sevastopol (0.3% each), North Ossetia, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Bryansk Region (0.4% each), as well as Kaluga, Kaliningrad and Lipetsk region and Dagestan (0.5% each).
In Moscow, the highest number of cases is recorded (591 per day), but the growth rate remains at the level of early April, according to headquarters. The number of new cases of COVID-19 in the capital is 13.7% less than two weeks ago.
World record growth
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization recorded a record daily increase in the incidence of coronavirus in the world. According to WHO, in 24 hours in the world, 259,848 new cases of COVID-19 were detected. The previous record was set the day before - 237,743.
According to WHO, the total number of cases of infection in the world is approaching 13.9 million, at least 593 thousand patients with confirmed COVID-19 have died.
The largest increase of more than 259 thousand new cases per day was detected in the Americas - 151 531 cases in 24 hours. Of these, 71,484 cases were reported in the United States and 45,403 in Brazil. A total of 7,306,371 cases of COVID-19 are known in the Americas.
Note that US President Donald Trump on the eve announced the rejection of traditional campaign meetings in stadiums in favor of "telephone rallies" amid the situation with coronavirus.
Trump said he would very much like to meet with his supporters, but until the COVID-19 problem is resolved, he will hold “telephone rallies” and will call them “Trump rallies”
If we consider other parts of the world, the incidence in Southeast Asia, the second largest region in terms of patient growth, remains at a significant level. 39 513 cases were detected per day, a day earlier - 39 518. In total, in this part of the world there are 1,347,954 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
According to the WHO, in 24 hours in Europe 33 358 new patients with COVID-19 were identified (the third highest growth rate), which significantly exceeds the rate of 21 719 cases on the previous day. A total of 3,042,330 cases of coronavirus were recorded in Europe.
In Africa, there was also an increase in the number of patients with COVID-19, however, over the past day this indicator was lower than the day before - 18 344 cases versus 19 719. In total, 561 466 cases of coronavirus are known in Africa.