During the online meeting of the RAS Scientific Council on Life Sciences, Mikhail Petrovich Kostinov, doctor of medical sciences, professor, head of the Laboratory of Preventive Vaccination and Immunotherapy of Allergic Diseases, Division of Allergology, RAS Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera named after I. I. Mechnikov, presented his report titled: “Problems of Immunorehabilitation of COVID-19 Patients: Role of Influenza/Pneumococcus Vaccines and Immunotropic Medications.” According to Dr. Kostinov, all influenza vaccines significantly increase the level of expression of innate immunity receptors which are responsible for recognizing RNA viruses. “The high expression of TLR8 and TLR9 innate immunity receptors allows recognition of viral infection at earlier stages. Also at this level, the initiation of an immune response is possible, leading to decrease incidence of acute respiratory infection,” said Mikhail Kostinov.
As noted by Dr. Kostinov, the pneumococcus vaccine has already shown its efficacy in preventing the occurrence of respiratory superinfections involving S. pneumoniae in coronavirus patients. “According to preliminary estimates, timely vaccination against pneumococcus could have prevented about 10% deaths from COVID-19 by preventing the development of pneumococcal superinfection,” maintains the doctor of medical sciences.
From a presentation by Mikhail Petrovich Kostinov
