Implementation of the Possibility of Expanding the National Vaccination Schedule into Regional Vaccination Schedule

Relevance. Expansion of the National vaccination schedule by including immunization against a number of infections not included in the National vaccination schedule is designated as one of the main activities in the Plan for the implementation of the «Strategy for the Development of Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases for the Period up to 2035» approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. At the level of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the tasks of expanding the list of immunization against a number of infections can to solve within the framework of the Regional vaccination schedules. Aim. To summarize the experience of implementing regional immunization programs in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in order to develop optimal approaches to the development of Regional vaccination schedules and improvement of the National vaccination schedule. Materials &methods . A continuous retrospective cross-sectional study conducted, the material for which was information on the implementation of regional immunization programs in 2017-2019 and 2022-2023 submitted by offices of Rospotrebnadzor in the regions of the Russian Federation in December 2023 in accordance with the request of Rospotrebnadzor on the website http://report.gsen.ru. Results. At the time of the study, regional immunization programs were in effect in almost all federal subjects, and regional preventive vaccination schedules approved in 22 subjects, which included vaccinations planned for implementation in the National vaccination schedules. Аt the end of 2023, routine vaccination against meningococcal infection was carried out in 22 regions, vaccinations against chickenpox were carried out in 19 regions, against hepatitis A in 19 regions, against rotavirus infection in 14 regions, against human papillomavirus in 13 regions, and revaccination against whooping cough in 7 regions. The target population groups for additional vaccinations were not the same in different federal subjects. In recent years, most regions have seen a systematic increase in the list of diseases against which vaccinations carried out, an expansion of the target groups for vaccination, and an increase the amount of immunizations. Discussion. The implementation of Regional vaccination schedule allows testing and selecting the optimal tactic for usage of the vaccines planned for introduction into the National vaccination schedule. However, the volumes of purchases of additional vaccines to the National vaccination schedule in the regions remain insufficient to demonstrate the effect of prevention at the population level, not all regions have legislatively formalized regional programs, which complicates sustainable financing, and the choice of target groups to vaccination against a particular infection is not sufficiently epidemiologically substantiated. Conclusion . The experience of implementing regional schedules of preventive vaccinations shows the possibilities of expanding the National vaccination schedule, however, given funding constraints, regular adjustments of regional vaccination schedules and the selection of priority target groups for vaccination are necessary.