How to protect yourself from Omicron?

During the New Year holidays, the specific rate of vaccination in the Lipetsk region fell to record lows, 44 per 100 thousand people. according to data on 09.01.2022, a month ago it was almost 10 times higher, 405 per 100 thousand people. according to data on 09.12.2021.

Vaccination offices worked in polyclinics and shopping malls, but people were in no hurry to get vaccinated.

In total, 4.7 thousand vaccinations of the first and second components were made during the New Year holidays in total.

- How many vaccinations have already been done and what vaccines against coronavirus are now available to adult residents of the region?

For January 11, 2022 , 1009 people were vaccinated with the first component . The second component vaccinated 4326 people. A total of 5335 people were vaccinated in a day.699.6 thousand people were vaccinated once (95.4 thousand of them were re-vaccinated).

682.2 thousand people were vaccinated twice (including repeated vaccination of 92.3 thousand people). In Lipetsk and a number of districts of the region, vaccination coverage is already close to 80% of the adult population.

We invite residents of the region to be vaccinated against a new coronavirus infection. Currently, all polyclinics in the region have vaccines: Epivac Corona-N, Gam Covid Vac (Sputnik-V), Sputnik Lite, and Kovivac.

I would like to tell you more about the Epivac Corona-N. vaccine. 17 thousand residents of the region have received persistent immunity to COVID-19 with this vaccine.

Post-vaccination immunity studies have shown high levels of antibodies in vaccinated with 93% production of protective antibodies. You can be vaccinated in any medical organization. The list of contraindications is minimal. Reactions to vaccination are rare and pass with little discomfort for the patient.

In order to assess post-vaccination immunity to the Epivac Corona-N vaccine, it is necessary to contact the polyclinic at the place of residence 1 month after the second vaccination with the Epivac Corona-N vaccine to donate blood for the presence of antibodies to Covid-19 (the analysis is free).

- Omicron is raging in the world. Isolated cases are also registered in Russia. How to protect yourself?

We must remember that 6 months after vaccination or after COVID-19, repeated vaccination is necessary, first of all, persons over 60 years of age should be vaccinated. Today, the rate of re-vaccination in the region is low. According to the plan, about 185 thousand should be vaccinated, taking into account the vaccinations made six months ago, but 95.4 thousand residents of the region have been re-vaccinated, which is almost 2 times less.

A new strain of Omicron was detected in several regions of the Russian Federation, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod. So far, these are isolated cases, but they are no longer imported, but local. Therefore, citizens are still obliged to adhere to certain safety measures: use personal protective equipment, remember about social distancing and use a sanitizer.

There are no Omicron cases in the Lipetsk region yet, but the situation may change at any moment. That is why we are keeping all 8 infectious diseases hospitals, now they are filled by 50% of the total bed capacity, we are preparing a supply of medicines and oxygen.

Yes, they say that the disease caused by omicron is easier, but this applies primarily to vaccinated people. Due to the fact that this strain is extremely contagious (we see this in the USA, where a million cases are registered every day - 3% of the population gets sick every day), it will pose a serious threat, because among a large number of simultaneously ill people there will always be people requiring inpatient treatment, and the wider the virus spreads, the higher the load on the medical network will be.

Now it is necessary to get vaccinated, if they haven't done it yet, and limit social activity in the near future: minimize contacts with strangers. It is clear that this is not always possible - people go to work and study after the holidays, they have to travel by public transport. But where possible, avoid contact and use personal protective equipment.