Migrating waterfowl may be the primary source of influenza (H5N1) in western Siberia and the European part of the Russian Federation.

² Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования Первый Московский государственный медицинский университет имени И.М. Сеченова Минздрава России (Сеченовский Университет), 119991, г. Москва, Российская Федерация

The review presents current data on the history of distribution, phylogeography, population structure, features of the evolution of the causative agent of anthrax. The results of foreign publications and our own original materials on the territorial distribution of genetic lines of Bacillus anthracis, the genetic relationship of variants isolated in Russia and abroad, the ways of distribution of variants of the pathogen in Russia and neighboring countries summarized. Based on the limited possibilities of spreading anthrax infection with sick animals and the high stability of pathogen spores in the environment, the leading role of human activity in the spread of B. anthracis shown. The probable ways of spread of the pathogen over long distances described, determined by the historical migration of people, the routes of conquerors, trade routes and the import of livestock products. The spread of the causative agent of anthrax on the territory of the Russian Federation began with Eastern Siberia and through the south of Siberia reached the European part of the Russian Federation, including the North Caucasus.

The most effective means of combating the COVID-19 pandemic s the formation of herd immunity, with the formation of an immune population to infection. Vaccination rates are continuously increasing. In early February 2021, WHO announced that the number of people vaccinated against the disease for the first time exceeded the number of infected. In early June 2021 the vaccinated number exceeded 2 billion which is more than 12 times the total number infected for the entire duration of the pandemic. The high rate of vaccination leads to the formulation of a number of questions concerning the effectiveness of vaccines currently used for mass immunization the level of herd immunity, necessary to stop the spread of the disease, the actual duration of the vaccination carried out, long-term prospects of the platforms, used in the creation of vaccines. The purpose of this paper is to substantiate reasoned answers to the questions posed.