Preparations for mass vaccination
Thousands of new cases of infection with Covid-19 are being reported in Romania every day. The only solution to this is immunization.
Daniela Budu, 16.12.2020, 14:00
In Romania, just like in many other countries of the world, vaccination centres are being set up for the first stage of the anti-Covid immunization campaign that will begin with the medical staff. An increasing number of medical doctors are falling victim to the virus. 25 of them have died in Romania since the start of the pandemic. Health authorities have again signalled the fact that the battle against the virus cannot be won in the absence of mass vaccination, which will most likely start next spring and will be free and optional. Experts believe that post-immunization protection may last only one year, as in the case of the seasonal influenza vaccines, which means that immunization against the coronavirus may be needed every year. This statement was made by the MEP Cristian Busoi, the European Parliament rapporteur for the community programme on improving health services.
Cristian Busoi: ”Everybody is expecting immunity to coronavirus to last longer than immunity to seasonal flu for instance, although we do not have clear scientific evidence in this respect. It is possible that, in the case of Covid-19, which is a very unusual and dangerous virus, immunity, including the one acquired though vaccination, should last even less. This means that in 2022 we will have to repeat the financial and logistic effort of vaccinating people. ”
The coordinator of the national vaccination campaign, military doctor Valerius Gheorghita, has said on a TV station that the first doses of vaccine will be delivered to Romania most likely by end-December and that vaccination may start right afterwards. Valeriu Gheorghita: ”If the vaccine is authorised on December 23, the first doses will be delivered to Romania between Christmas and the New Year and we can start the immunization of the medical personnel.”
According to Valeriu Gheorghita, about 10,000 doses will be delivered first, enough to vaccinate 5,000 people, given that two doses are needed for each person. At the beginning of 2021, Romania should receive around 1 million doses. A recent study shows that the Romanians are among the most skeptikal Europeans towards the vaccine, and only half of them said they want to be immunized, although experts believe there is no better solution than this to end the pandemic and go on with our lives. (Translated by Elena Enache)
