  Background: There is limited information on the volume of
influenza-associated mortality in Russia.
  Methods: Using previously developed methodology (Goldstein et al.,
Epidemiology 2012), we regressed the monthly rates of mortality for respiratory
causes, circulatory causes, and for certain infectious and parasitic diseases
(available from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat))
linearly against the monthly proxies for the incidence of influenza A/H3N2,
A/H1N1 and B (obtained using data from the Smorodintsev Research Institute of
Influenza (RII) on levels of ILI/ARI consultations and the percent of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza A/H3N2, A/H1N1 and B),
adjusting for the baseline rates of mortality not associated with influenza
circulation and temporal trends.
  Results: For the 2010/11 through the 2014/15 seasons, influenza circulation
was associated with an average annual 11106 (95% CI (4321,17892)) deaths for
circulatory causes, 4552 (3744,5360) deaths for respiratory causes, and 343
(63,624) deaths for certain infectious and parasitic diseases, with influenza
A/H3N2 being responsible for the majority of influenza-associated respiratory
deaths and influenza B making a substantial contribution to
influenza-associated mortality for circulatory causes.
  Conclusions: Influenza circulation is associated with a substantial mortality
burden in Russia, particularly for circulatory deaths. Those results support
the potential utility of influenza vaccination (with the role played by
influenza B in circulatory mortality pointing to the benefit of quadrivalent
influenza vaccines), as well as of administration of antiviral drugs for
high-risk individuals during periods of active influenza circulation.
