Rospotrebnadzor commented on the flu situation in Russia

In Russia, the incidence of influenza is estimated to be moderate. This was announced on December 16 by the press service of Rospotrebnadzor.

According to the agency, the 2025/2026 epidemic season in the European region started four weeks earlier than usual. It is specified that currently there is a low vaccination rate in Europe, which leads to a high incidence.

"In Russia, the flu vaccination campaign began on September 4, and with vaccination coverage of 54.5% of the total population, the incidence is estimated to be moderate — about 1-1.3 million cases of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza per week, with peaks in different years — up to 2.5 million," the website says.

In Russia, 0.004% of the total number of vaccinated people fell ill, which confirms the effectiveness of vaccination, and deaths from influenza remain rare and their number is lower than in previous years.

The Hong Kong flu is coming: how to protect yourself during seasonal outbreaks

Schoolchildren and pregnant women are at risk.

Earlier in the day, the Russian office of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Hong Kong flu, known as the influenza A (H3N2) strain, has become dominant in Russia. It was clarified that since mid-August 2025, there has been an increase in the number of cases of influenza caused by a new strain of H3N2 (a subtype of the influenza A virus).

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.