Doctors explained why the COVID vaccine will remain free

The inclusion of vaccination against covid-19 in the vaccination calendar will consolidate at the legislative level the fact that it is free of charge. This was reported to RBC by interviewed experts. CORONAVIRUS vaccination was included in the national vaccination calendar at the end of December 2021.

The approval of the vaccination schedule with vaccination against covid is the streamlining of the current situation, Larisa Popovich, DIRECTOR of the HSE Institute for HEALTH Economics, told RBC. “Prior to this, free vaccination against covid was not regulated by law. [Free vaccination] was a temporary solution. Now the responsibility for funding vaccination is becoming enshrined at the legislative level, the sources of funding are clearly defined,” Popovich explained.

According to the infectious disease specialist, DOCTOR of Medical Sciences Nikolai Malyshev, the most important thing that gives the approval of the vaccination schedule with vaccination against coronavirus is that “it will remain free.” Vaccinations recommended for mandatory use are included in the national calendar, but the principle of voluntariness remains, Malyshev noted.

The national vaccination schedule itself consists of two parts, Popovich said. According to her, the part that concerns childhood and mandatory vaccinations is funded from the federal budget, the second part concerns vaccines for epidemic indications. "This is the second part of the vaccination calendar, it usually indicates categories of the population that, under certain conditions, for example, when traveling to certain countries, when working in certain regions, or when a certain situation arises, they must be vaccinated - this is "mandatory vaccination according to epidemiological indications for certain categories of citizens, ”according to Popovich, they were vaccinated against the coronavirus here.