2008
Piloting of Hib Vaccine in Vladivostok under USAID project
On October 2, CG Tom Armbruster hosted Dr. Elena Frolova, Deputy General Director for Rostropovich- Vishnevskaya Foundation (RVF), who visited Vladivostok to support training session in Vladivostok to improve laboratory diagnosis and treatment of a vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) in the city. The goal of this USAID-funded project is to get Hib added to the national immunization calendar, thus requiring health care providers to immunize children against the disease, which is a leading cause of severe infant meningitis. As a result of RVF trainings, the share of meningitis cases in Vladivostok that have a known cause has drastically increased (from 3% to 60%), which significantly improves treatment outcomes. This activity is strongly supported by the Head of the Federal Service on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Dr. Onishchenko. Dr. Onishchenko has also expressed his support for expanding the trainings to other regions and RVF is in negotiations with companies, such as TOTAL, about leveraging private sector support for this expansion.