Medical preventive measures

When should I get vaccinated?

Vaccination against most infectious diseases is usually done at preschool and school age. In Russia, it is conducted in accordance with the National vaccination calendar (document in Russian).

Sometimes, the vaccination dates can shift depending on a child’s health. Immunity to a particular disease can only be achieved when all the necessary vaccinations against it have been administered in accordance with the schedule. Repeat vaccination at an early age can ensure a nearly 100% immunity, which means that you don’t need to get vaccinated again later.

The following vaccinations are recommended to adults:

• vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus every ten years;
• vaccination against measles for adults under 36 who haven’t been vaccinated, have been vaccinated only once, or don’t have any information about their measles vaccination;
• for adults in high-risk groups, it is recommended to vaccinate against measles until the age of 55 (inclusive).

What vaccination documents do you need to provide to the university’s first aid post?

A notarized copy of a document listing your vaccinations and verified by the Ministry of Health in your home country. The document should be in Russian or in another language with a notarized Russian translation.

Your scanned copies should be:

Displaying the document in full, including the title page and every page that contains information. The copy should be notarized by the medical organization (with a seal and signature of your doctor).

The document should contain the following information:

• the name of the vaccination, the name and serial number of the vaccine, and the vaccination date.

The information about the vaccinations you received as a child remains valid when you reach adulthood. Depending on the epidemiological situation and risks of infection, you may be required to receive additional vaccinations.

What do I do if I don’t have any vaccination documents and I am not sure if I’ve been vaccinated?

You can ask your family for this information (it is often the case that your parents would have kept the documents containing the necessary information). You can also request a vaccination document from the hospital where you were treated as a child. These days, many of them have electronic databases, so it will be possible to find and print out the necessary information.

What do I do if I can’t find or retrieve information about my vaccinations?

You will need to take a blood test for antibodies to the major infectious diseases that you should be vaccinated against. This will make sure that you have indications for immunization (if you don’t have the antibodies to, for example, measles, diphtheria, or hepatitis). If you have enough antibodies, then you won’t have to be vaccinated one more time. In this case, the certificate with your antibodies blood test results will serve as your vaccination certificate. This means that you will have to hold on to the original copy of this document. You can take the necessary blood test at any medical organization, but unfortunately it cannot be done for free.

Why is it important to keep or retrieve your vaccination certificate?

• This way, you will know for sure if you need to get vaccinated in case of any changes in the epidemiological situation.
• You will be able to prove your immunity to infectious diseases when applying to a university or a new job.
• This information is necessary in case you have to be hospitalized or get a surgery.
• Sometimes, this information is required when starting your practical training at certain organizations.
• This information is required for participants of academic mobility programs.
• You will need it to accompany a child during treatment, etc.

How do I provide copies of these documents to ITMO’s first aid post?

If you haven’t uploaded a scanned copy of your vaccination certificate to ISU (in the tab My health / Мое здоровье), you will need to upload it to my.itmo.ru.