The best flu vaccines in 2021

What vaccines are available in Russia?

In 2021, the vaccination campaign in our country began on September 1. It will last all autumn, but you can get vaccinated later - in winter. The main thing is that the necessary vaccine can be found in clinics, city or private.

Now Russians have access to both domestic and imported vaccine preparations. They all differ in composition: the number of antigens, the presence of adjuvants (that is, immune response enhancers) and preservatives.

What are flu vaccines made of? To make vaccines, scientists grow influenza viruses in chicken eggs or cell cultures. The viruses are then isolated and purified. Purified and inactivated viruses or their individual parts (killed virus fragments or surface viral antigens - hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) are the main component of most types of influenza vaccinations. Much less commonly, influenza vaccines are based on a live, weakened virus. In this case, the vaccination is not given in the shoulder, but intranasally. Vaccines may also contain antibiotics, preservatives, and substances that enhance the effect of vaccines on the immune system (adjuvants). Some manufacturers do without the latter. Detailed information about the composition can be found in the instructions for the drugs.

For a healthy person there is no difference in vaccines. Doctors advise paying attention first of all to the valency of the drug, that is, to the number of strains of the influenza virus from which it will protect. Quadrivalent (or quadrivalent) vaccines are considered the best. They contain four strains of influenza virus: two strains of type A and two strains of type B.

The second point is the amount of viral antigens in the vaccine dose. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that manufacturers include at least 15 mcg of antigen (hemagglutinin) of each strain of the virus. It is this amount that leads to the formation of the best defense by the immune system.

Important! The idea that the flu shot infects a person with the virus is false. Vaccination is a way of training the body before encountering a real pathogen. In addition, inactivated vaccines are now used, which do not contain live virus. Live influenza vaccines, which can cause symptoms of the influenza virus after they are administered, are rarely used today.

How and where to get vaccinated

The flu vaccination in Russia can be done free of charge in local clinics, kindergartens, schools and colleges, or for money in private medical institutions. Moscow is also organizing mobile vaccination points, which are installed near the metro or on crowded streets.

In order to receive the vaccine, you should make an appointment with a general practitioner, have your passport and compulsory medical insurance policy with you. You will need to sign a medical consent for vaccination on site. Before vaccination, you can and should ask your doctor about the available vaccines and the difference between them. The doctor will tell you and help you choose. After vaccination, the patient is given a vaccination certificate, which indicates the date of vaccination and the name of the vaccine.

Please note that influenza vaccination has a number of absolute (egg white allergy, strong reactions to previous doses of the vaccine) and temporary contraindications . If you have an aggravated chronic disease (for example, diabetes, asthma), acute respiratory viral infections, intestinal infections or severe seasonal allergies, the vaccine is not given. After recovery or during remission of a chronic disease, you can get vaccinated against influenza.

“Among those who should not get the flu vaccine:

people allergic to egg whites (chicken embryos are used in the production of many influenza vaccines);
people with severe reactions and post-vaccination complications after administration of previous doses of the vaccine. This is a fairly rare occurrence, however, if there are negative reactions to the first dose of the vaccine, this drug is not recommended to be used in the future.”

Ekaterina Stepanova, PhD, infectious disease doctor

What vaccines can usually be found in the clinic?

In clinics, they use three-component drugs of domestic production “Sovigripp” (manufactured by a branch of JSC NPO Microgen) and “Grippol Plus” (). These are inactivated vaccines and do not contain live virus.

Sovigripp is a three-component subunit vaccine. Protects against three strains of the virus that are recommended by WHO:

subtype A(H1N1) and subtype A(H3N2) (5 μg antigen for each strain);
type B (antigen in the amount of 11 μg).

Available in two forms: with a preservative (thiomersal) and without a preservative. Contains an adjuvant - sovidone. The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months (preservative-free version).

"Grippol Plus" is a trivalent inactivated subunit adjuvanted vaccine. It contains 5 μg of influenza virus antigens of three strains that are recommended by WHO (two type A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one type B strain).

The adjuvant in the Grippol Plus vaccine is polyoxidonium. The drug does not contain preservatives. The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months.

Other Russian-made vaccines

The list of influenza vaccines in Russia also includes other domestic drugs: Ultrix (trivalent), Ultrix Quardi (tetravalent) and Flu-M (trivalent split vaccine). Ultrix is produced by a biopharmaceutical company owned by the Rostec state corporation (through the Nacimbio holding) and the Marathon Group company. "Flu-M" is a drug from the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums.

Are imported ones better than domestic ones?

All seasonal flu vaccines contain the same strains of the virus. WHO annually assesses the spread of wild viruses and, based on forecasts of which strains will most actively attack people during the coming season, makes recommendations on the composition of drugs.

Quadrivalent vaccines are recognized as the best vaccines. They protect against two strains of the virus, type A and two, type B. Doctors consider such drugs to be more complete and, when choosing between trivalent foreign and quadrivalent Russian, advise using the latter. At the same time, specialists’ trust in Russian vaccines is often lower than in foreign ones. A large role in this is played by limited clinical trial data confirming the effectiveness of certain Russian vaccines, as well as the low content of antigens in some domestic drugs.

Drugs in descending order of preference (starting with the best)

Vaxigrip. Protects against three strains of influenza (trivalent), contains 15 mcg of antigens, approved from the age of 6 months.
Ultrix Quadri. The only Russian quadrivalent (this is better than trivalent) vaccine, containing 15 mcg of antigens, is approved from 6 years of age.
Ultrix. The Russian vaccine contains 15 mcg of antigens and protects against three strains. Allowed from 6 months.
Flu-M. Similar to Ultrix, but allowed from 18 years of age.

The following are vaccines containing antigens less than 15 mcg:

Grippol Quadrivalent. The quadrivalent Russian vaccine contains 5 mcg of antigens and is approved for people aged 18 years and older.
Grippol plus and Sovigripp. Trivalent Russian vaccines contain 5 mcg of antigens and are approved from 6 months.

Sergei Butriy, pediatrician
It is worth mentioning separately about the use of adjuvants in some Russian vaccines, the effectiveness of which is still disputed . Among them:

polyoxidonium (azoximer bromide), is part of the Grippol Plus vaccine and is a synthetic immunomodulator,
Sovidon is part of the Sovigripp vaccine.

About the difference between domestic and foreign vaccines and expert opinions on this matter

Which is better: Influvac or Vaxigrip

Having considered all the important characteristics of the two drugs, we can say that the Influvac vaccine is slightly inferior to the Vaxigripp drug due to its higher cost. Basically, these vaccines are considered one of the best in world pharmaceuticals. If the price factor matters, it is better to give preference to the Vaxigrip vaccine, but if not, you can choose any drug, since their quality and effectiveness are approximately the same.

Many mothers are worried about vaccinating their children. Very often you can hear the question: “Which is better for a child: Vaxigrip or Influvac?” According to medical professionals, it is better to give preference to the drug Vaxigripp due to fewer side effects.

People's reviews about the drugs

As for patient reviews, many of them note that Vaxigrip causes fewer unwanted side effects. The most common complaints are headaches and muscle spasms. In cases with the use of Influvac, high efficiency was noted, but most patients experienced a flu-like syndrome.

Many patients noted that they see the advisability of using vaccines only in children, missing the fact that adults also need vaccinations.

The best domestic

The best domestic drugs are considered to be the four-component “Ultrix Quadri” and the three-component, but containing 15 mcg of antigens “Ultrix” and “Flu-M”.

Ultrix quardi

Among the characteristics:

Manufacturer: biopharmaceutical.
Four-component virosomal (based on a split vaccine). Contains 15 mcg of influenza virus antigens of each strain, which is recommended by WHO.
Does not contain preservatives or adjuvants.
The minimum age for vaccination is 6 years.
You can buy it in pharmacies or find it in private clinics. The average price is 1,700 rubles.

Ultrix

Among the characteristics:

Manufacturer: biopharmaceutical.
Three-component virosomal (based on a split vaccine). Contains 15 mcg of influenza virus antigens of three strains that are recommended by WHO (two type A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one type B virus strain).
Available in two forms: with a preservative (merthiolate) and without a preservative. Does not contain adjuvants.
The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months (preservative-free version).
Available for free. The average price is 500 rubles.

Flu-M

Among the characteristics:

Manufacturer: St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums.
Three-component split vaccine. Contains 15 mcg of influenza virus antigens of three strains that are recommended by WHO (two type A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one type B strain).
Preservative – thiomersal (merthiolate). Does not contain adjuvants.
The minimum age for vaccination is 18 years.
You can buy it in pharmacies or find it in private clinics. The average price is 3500 rubles.

Indications for use

persons over 60 years old
patients with chronic somatic diseases, diseases of the cardiovascular system, chronic renal failure, metabolic disorders (including diabetes), cystic fibrosis, chronic respiratory diseases, often suffering from acute respiratory infections, as well as congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies
preschool children, schoolchildren
persons at increased risk of influenza infection due to the nature of their work

The best imported

Imported vaccines on the Russian market in the 2020–2021 season are represented by two drugs: the French Vaxigripp and the Dutch Influvac. According to RBC, they are expected in pharmacies in mid-October - early November.

Vaxigrip

Among the characteristics:

Manufacturer: SANOFI PASTEUR, SA, France.
Quadrivalent inactivated influenza split vaccine.
Contains 15 mcg of influenza virus antigens of each strain, which is recommended by WHO.
Does not contain adjuvants or preservatives.
The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months.

Influvac

Among the characteristics:

Manufacturer: Abbott, Netherlands.
Quadrivalent subunit inactivated.
Contains 15 mcg of influenza virus antigens of each strain, which is recommended by WHO.
Does not contain adjuvants or preservatives.
The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months.

Is there a difference in the effectiveness and duration of action of the drugs?

The drug Influfak is recommended to be used once a year - in the autumn. As for the Vaxigrip vaccine, there are no differences here either. The drug is administered to people once, once a year before the start of the virus and cold season - in the fall. The immunostimulating effect of the drugs develops 2-3 days after vaccination.

The effectiveness of both drugs is clinically confirmed. It is not recommended to administer vaccines during an acute period of illness, as the body may not have time to develop immunity to the influenza virus. It is worth noting that vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee that a person will not get sick. However, in case of illness, the symptoms will be less pronounced.

Which vaccines are best for children?

Vaccines for children are no different from vaccines for adults. But some drugs have a minimum age limit. For children, you need to choose those whose instructions indicate an age from 6 months.

Children aged from six months to 2 years (and if the vaccination is done for the first time - up to 9 years) are given a half dose of the influenza vaccine. The second dose is recommended after 4 weeks, as it increases the effectiveness of immunization.

The editors of MedPortal express gratitude for the expert assistance in creating this material to Dr. Ekaterina Stepanova, from H-Clinic, an expert clinic specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

Go to the clinic website

Possible side effects

The following adverse reactions may be observed during vaccination: headache, sweating, myalgia, arthralgia, fever, malaise, chills, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, vomiting, fever. Local reactions may include: redness, swelling, pain, induration, ecchymosis. Reactions usually resolve within 1-2 days and do not require treatment.

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