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The article discusses the threat of new influenza strains and the need to update the vaccine to protect the population.
New strains of influenza pose a danger due to the fact that the immunity that Russians developed after the last epidemiological season does not provide protection against them. This was stated by epidemiologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and deputy president of the Russian Academy of Education Gennady Onishchenko, quoted by TASS.
According to the specialist, today influenza remains one of the most dangerous infections. “Both in terms of the number of people who have recovered from the disease, and in terms of the amount of damage caused to human health and, of course, to the economy,” the academician emphasized.
He also said that the composition of the vaccine for Russians for 2026 was updated in three components at once. According to him, this made the drug effective against new strains.

In Russia, in the 40th week of 2026, over 688 thousand cases of ARVI, influenza and COVID-19 were registered, which is slightly lower than the previous week, Rospotrebnadzor reported. The department noted that flu vaccination remains one of the most effective ways of protection.

Rospotrebnadzor recommends that, first of all, people with chronic diseases: cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, obesity and lung diseases, as well as young children, the elderly and pregnant women should be vaccinated against influenza.

Researchers have found that the lateral parafacial area of the brain (pFL), which is responsible for breathing, sends signals in hypertension that constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Suppressing this activity in rats normalized blood pressure. The discovery may explain the link between sleep apnea and hypertension.

Epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko said that the Coxsackie virus will not spread in Russia, even if infected Russians return from Vietnam, and advised citizens to take into account epidemiological risks when traveling abroad, noting that WHO is monitoring the situation in Southeast Asia.

The World Health Organization assessed the public health risk as low following a case of pneumonia of unknown etiology in an employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, stating all contacts have been monitored and show no symptoms, while Russian officials confirmed the situation is stable and preventive measures are nearing completion.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency due to a rapidly growing measles outbreak, expanding vaccination and testing authority as cases surge across the northeastern US, with 108 confirmed cases reported through October 3.