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Russia’s Health Ministry Proposes Delaying Addition of Four Vaccines to National Schedule

The ministry cites a shift to full domestic production as the reason for revising the timeline, with the draft still awaiting a government decision.

Overview

  • The draft would move rotavirus from 2025 to 2029, varicella from 2027 to 2031, HPV from 2026 to 2027, and meningococcal from 2025 to 2027.
  • Inclusion is conditioned on full-cycle manufacturing in Russia under the 2035 immunization strategy, which the ministry says informs the new dates.
  • The proposal remains a draft and requires government approval before any changes take effect.
  • Patient advocates, including All-Russian Union of Patients co-chair Yan Vlasov, argue the delays slow broader protection even though full-cycle production exists for HPV and meningococcal vaccines.
  • HPV maker Nanolek says it can meet national demand with the domestically produced Cegardex from 2027 and warns a one-year deferral could push first deliveries to 2028 without timely legal updates.