Deputy State Duma Sukharev proposed to consider the issue of resuming vaccination against smallpox

In the appeal, the legislator noted that this spring there was an outbreak of monkeypox.

This disease was found in citizens of a number of European countries, Israel and the United States, which, according to him, causes objective concern.

On May 20, 2022, the World Health Organization convened an emergency meeting of experts to discuss the prospects for a new threat.

Meanwhile, Belgium became the first country to decide to quarantine smallpox cases and contacts. 

Russian experts, including representatives of Rospotrebnadzor, in turn noted that the presence of a vaccination against smallpox in the past can help reduce the severity of the disease of monkeypox.

At the same time, the deputy stressed that the vaccination program in the Soviet Union was completed in the early 80s of the last century in connection with the complete elimination of smallpox throughout the world, and at present a wide segment of the population - from children to citizens under the age of 40 - not vaccinated against smallpox.

“In this regard, and against the backdrop of an outbreak of a new potential dangerous disease, I ask you to consider the advisability of resuming vaccination programs against smallpox in the Russian Federation,” the text of the appeal reads.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, children born before 1979 were vaccinated against smallpox, and since 1980, smallpox has been considered eliminated in the world, and the vaccination was canceled.

At the same time, according to Rosstat data for January 1, 2021, since 1980, about 75 million people were born in Russia who no longer found the Soviet smallpox vaccination program.

The press service of Rospotrebnadzor noted that at present smallpox vaccines are used only for medical workers.

“Given the low risk of importing monkeypox to Russia, smallpox vaccines are currently used exclusively for medical workers who may be at high risk of contracting the virus,” the department’s press service told RT.

Earlier, the immunologist Vladislav Zhemchugov suggested thinking about vaccination against smallpox in Russia.