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Medical preventive measures

Vaccination against infectious diseases

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.

CORONA INFO

Arrival to the territory of the Russian Federation for foreign students

Foreign citizens who arrive in the Russian Federation for educational purposes must state “education” as the purpose of their visit at passport control. Otherwise, they might not be allowed to proceed with their studies or move into a dormitory (foreign citizens with a temporary or permanent resident permit in Russia are an exemption to this rule).

Foreign citizens who require a visa to enter the Russian Federation must arrive in Russia over 45 days before the expiration date of their current single-entry student visa.

ATTENTION! According to the Order of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education “On the Activities of Organizations Under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation” No. 999 dated November 2, 2021, international students can settle into a dormitory and take part in the educational process only after providing two negative PCR test results for COVID-19 confirmed by a medical certificate in Russian and English.

The first PCR test should be performed within 2 days before arriving in Russia, and the second – within 3 days after arrival.

As an international student, you must:

To enter Russia

  1. No later than 10 days before entering Russia, inform the International Students Learning and Support Center at int.students@itmo.ru (with a copy to omu@itmo.ru) about your planned date and time of arrival. In this email, you should also indicate whether you will need a place in a dormitory;
  2. Await a reply with the rules for entering the country and details on settling into the dorm (if applicable);
  3. Within 2 days before arriving in Russia, take a COVID-19 PCR test;
  4. Provide a negative PCR test in Russian or English at passport control and upon arrival at the dormitory.

Citizens of the following countries can also provide the negative PCR test results (of a test taken within 2 days before arriving to Russia) using the Travelling without COVID-19 app:

  • Armenia;
  • Belarus;
  • Kazakhstan;
  • Kyrgyzstan;
  • Tajikistan;
  • Moldova;
  • Uzbekistan;
  • Turkmenistan.

After arriving to Russia

  1. Within three days after arriving in Russia, take another COVID-19 PCR test. Send the test results of both the first and second test to the university’s medical center (medinform@itmo.ru).
  2. Within 3 business days from the day of your arrival, submit the following documents to the university’s Migration Services Office (Lomonosova St. 9, room 2139d, omu@itmo.ru, +7 (812) 480-09-17):
    • Passport;
    • Migration card (not applicable for Belarusian citizens);
    • Current registration (for students staying at hotels/hostels/private residences before moving into a dorm).
  3. Obtain a health insurance policy. If you have any questions on the matter, just email us: int.students@itmo.ru.
  4. Within 90 days after entering the country, international students have to take a mandatory medical exam, give their fingerprints and have their photos taken (not applicable for Belarusian citizens). You can do all this by visiting a branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs located on Krasnogo Tekstilshchika St. 10-12, bldg. B (second entrance, from the courtyard) and submitting your passport (ID). You can find more information about the procedure here (in Russian).

You can contact the International Students Learning and Support Center here:

Where to get tested

HELIX laboratories 

  • 98 centers all over St. Petersburg; 
  • Express tests with results ready in a day;
  • You can order the test certificate in 16 languages; 
  • Sign up for the test here (in Russian).

INVITRO independent laboratories 

  • Sign up for a test here (in Russian);
  • Find the closest center here.

Euromed Clinic Multipurpose Medical Center

  • Sign up for a test here (in English);
  • Address: Suvorovskiy Pr. 60
  • phone: +7 (812) 327-03-01
  • services available 24/7

On campus

1. During class, you should maintain social distance and abide by sanitary regulations. 

2. Students with symptoms of a respiratory infection cannot attend classes. 

3. If you develop symptoms of a respiratory infection while in Russia, you should immediately contact the city’s accident and emergency services by dialling 103 or 112 on your phone. More information about COVID-19.

Medical services

All international citizens need to have a valid health insurance policy during their stay in Russia.

Make sure that your health insurance is valid in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast.

If you don’t have insurance or it has expired, we encourage you to purchase one with any insurance company in St. Petersburg. 

Should you require medical services, you should contact your insurance company directly.

In case you develop symptoms of a viral infection, you should contact the city’s accident and emergency services by dialling 103 or 112 on your phone.

Should you need any help or consultation, don’t hesitate to contact ITMO’s International Students Learning and Support Center: 

address: Lomonosova St. 9, room 2139 b

phone: +7 (812) 607-04-60+7 (812) 572-21-36

email: int.students@itmo.ru

In case of an emergency, you can call: +7 (921) 350-30-53