"Only the most persistent are getting the vaccine": A sharp rise in chickenpox cases has been recorded in Russia's regions.

Since the beginning of 2025, the number of people infected with chickenpox has increased Yamal increased by 67% compared to the same period in 2024. Bashkortostan The incidence rate has more than doubled to 16,5 people. The numbers are higher than normal in Voronezh и Orenburg fields, and so in Altai Republic.

Experts believe the worsening epidemiological situation is due to a vaccine shortage. This is because Russia is using a foreign-made vaccine, which is now difficult to obtain.

"I'm hearing about cases where Yekaterinburg residents have flown to Moscow to get a vaccine for their child. Availability is a bit easier there, at least due to the large number of private clinics that manage to snag a few doses," comments the director and co-founder of the ANO "Collective Immunity" Antonina Oblasova. “Only the most persistent get the vaccine.”

The clinical trial of the domestic chickenpox vaccine will not be completed until the second half of 2026. It is being produced by the Russian company Nanolek in collaboration with the South Korean company GC Biopharma. Registration of the drug is expected by 2027.