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Russia’s Flu Season Starts Slowly as Hospitalizations Tick Up

Experts urge at‑risk people to vaccinate now due to a strong match with this season’s shots.

Overview

  • Rospotrebnadzor says influenza and ARVI are at seasonal levels, with about 700,000 illnesses logged weekly and a week‑to‑week rise in hospitalizations.
  • Laboratory surveillance finds circulating A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B/Victoria viruses that align with the 2025–26 vaccine, including an updated H3N2 component.
  • More than 41.8 million people have been vaccinated nationwide, representing 28.3% of the population, with officials urging timely immunization before cases climb.
  • The Smorodintsev Influenza Institute reports flu detections in under 1% of tested cases and anticipates an uptick in late November or early December with a likely post‑holiday peak.
  • The institute plans to advance a broad‑spectrum “universal” flu vaccine into clinical trials and notes that no universal flu vaccine is currently registered worldwide.