National vaccination strategy against COVID-19
After a meeting with defence and health officials, President Klaus Iohannis has announced that Romania is working on an immunization strategy against Covid-19.
Daniela Budu, 18.11.2020, 14:00
Romanian authorities are putting in place a national vaccination strategy against Covid-19. The strategy will be made public next week. According to President Klaus Iohannis, the EU is optimistic about the development of anti-Covid vaccines as progress has been made in this respect. Iohannis has explained that procedures have already been initiated and has called on the institutions involved in this process to communicate in a clear and transparent manner and combat disinformation.
Klaus Iohannis: ”I believe it is very important to combat disinformation and fake news, that generate public distrust and have a deeply harmful manipulative effect. As long as there is scientific evidence that vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended, by the relevant scientific institutions that approve them, as the main instrument that can put an end to the pandemic, we must work together to carry out an efficient vaccination campaign.”
Iohannis has insisted for a joint effort, so that the vaccination campaign will allow us to return to normal as soon as possible. Klaus Iohannis has given a few more details about the strategy: ”The vaccination will be carried out in several stages and will start with certain groups, selected on epidemiological and medical criteria. The first ones immunized will be the medical staff, followed by risk groups and the staff operating in key sectors such as education, national security, transport, energy, water and food supply.”
Health Minister Nelu Tataru has recently said that vaccination against Covid-19 will not be mandatory in Romania. According to the Public Health Barometer, 21% of Romanians would get immunized if the vaccine were available, one third would only do it if they were assured there are no side effects and 8% would like to know more about it before taking a decision. These results were obtained in the context in which more than 50% of Romanians generally agree with vaccination.
In his turn, PM Ludovic Orban has said that the anti-Covid vaccination campaign will respect the WHO recommendations. The international institution has hailed the encouraging news as regards the development of vaccines against Covid-19 but has warned that they will only be largely available in a few months. A number of pharmaceutical companies have already announced they developed vaccines which, in the final testing stage, proved over 90% effective in preventing the disease. The European Commission has signed several contracts for the purchase of vaccines and Bucharest is part of these accords. Romania will receive 10 million doses and, according to President Klaus Iohannis, the first ones will be delivered in the first three months of next year, at best. (Translated by Elena Enache)
