In the first five months of this year, the incidence of tuberculosis, acute and chronic hepatitis among children under 14 years of age has increased in Russia, Medvestnik writes, citing the monthly report of Rospotrebnadzor on infectious diseases.
Thus, according to the report, since the beginning of the year, TB was detected for the first time in 703 children, which is 17% more than last year. The incidence of respiratory tuberculosis increased even more – by 19% (666 cases). At the same time, the publication notes, the increase in the incidence of tuberculosis among the entire population (both children and adults) is not so fast: the number of cases of newly diagnosed disease increased by 4% (17.1 thousand), respiratory tuberculosis – by 5% (16, 5 thousand)
The incidence of acute forms of hepatitis among children has increased by almost a quarter (22%) – up to 398 cases. A significant proportion are cases of acute hepatitis A (359) – their number has increased by 20%. The number of children with acute hepatitis B doubled from 2 to 4. At the same time, the incidence of acute hepatitis C decreased by 7% (from 14 to 13 cases).
The number of cases of chronic hepatitis, in turn, increased by more than a quarter (28%) – up to 122. The majority are cases with chronic hepatitis C (112, an increase of 32%), the incidence of chronic hepatitis B increased by 11% (10 cases).
The head of the admissions department of the Children’s Scientific and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Valentin Kovalev, explained to Medvestnik that the increase in cases of hepatitis and tuberculosis is partly due to refusals to vaccinate children and false medical exemptions. From hepatitis B and tuberculosis, according to the national vaccination schedule, in Russia newborns are vaccinated in the first days of life.
Rospotrebnadzor data confirms an increase in the incidence of infections that can be prevented by a vaccine. So, in January-May of this year, the incidence of measles among children under 14 years of age increased by almost 150 times (1.7 thousand cases) compared with last year’s figures, whooping cough – five times (3.6 thousand cases), mumps – by 2.3 times (267), chickenpox – by 20% (391 thousand cases).
Source: Rosbalt
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