Measures against the flu

The Health Ministry has declared a flu epidemic in Romania

Daniela Budu, 10.02.2020, 14:00

In just one week, the number of infections with the flu virus in Romania has doubled, so we can speak of a flu epidemic. Specialists say that the upward trend will continue next week, given that many people have not got the flu shot. The director of the National Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Adriana Pistol, has said on Radio Romania:

“People should know that there are infections with the flu virus every winter, but intensity varies, its not the same every year. First of all, in order to protect ourselves from getting the flu, we should get the flu vaccine, and those who got it early are protected right now. But its still not late for the others as well. But, besides this obvious measure, there are all the others that we stress every time, namely to avoid contact with people when we are sick, to stay at home and to keep children at home if theyve got the virus.”

The coalition of organizations of patients with chronic diseases in Romania has recently launched an information guide on vaccination, which includes data about the production of vaccines and also recommendations and contraindications. The president of the Romanian Epidemiology Society, Doina Azoicai, who is the coordinator of the guide, told us:

“Vaccination is not just for children. Any individual, healthy or suffering from chronic diseases, can benefit, if its the case and its recommended, from this prevention measure. Unfortunately, we do not have vaccines for all the diseases that we would like to prevent. But we do have 30 types of vaccines that are used for the population, depending on the risk that we want to curb. Of course, everything is based on recommendations and by taking into consideration potential contraindications.”

Doctors recommend vaccination and also al the other prevention measures, such as wearing single-use masks, avoiding crowds and strict hygiene, as well as epidemiological triage in any collectivity, especially in schools and kindergartens.

Many education facilities in Bucharest and across the country have suspended classes for fear of the flu or to carry out disinfection. The Education Ministry has sent a notification to the Bucharest and the county school inspectorates informing them about the measures that must be taken in all schools in order to prevent new cases of infection with the flu virus.