The vaccine information caravan

A national vaccination caravan was launched in Romania, the first aimed at raising awareness about public health.

Mihai Pelin, 12.11.2021, 14:00

The pace of vaccination again slowed down in
Romania compared with previous weeks, with a total of 6.6 million people being
fully vaccinated to date. Against this backdrop, the first caravan aimed at
raising awareness about public health got on the road from Bucharest on Thursday.
In the next few days, people from Dolj, Olt and Arges counties, in the south, will
have the chance to take part in information campaigns about the importance,
necessity and benefits of vaccination against Covid-19. The public will be able
to interact with representatives of the medical profession, other experts, and
local physicians.

The move is part of a wider communication
campaign entitled People like Me, and initiated and supported by the business
community in Romania. The project aims to complement the efforts of the national
and local authorities to inform the public about vaccination. So far, 25
companies from various fields, including healthcare, the financial sector, IT,
energy, agriculture, retail, production, constructions and real estate, got
together to look for an urgent solution to the critical situation faced by
Romania.

The coordinator of the mass vaccination
campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă said the caravan
also offers vaccination to those willing to take the jab after speaking to the
experts. He reiterated that vaccination is the best option we have to reduce
the risk of severe illness and death. It’s like being at war. Even if we don’t
see the enemy, we see the harm it can do. But we have the weapon to fight it,
and that’s the vaccine. Some have learnt how to use it. Many still hesitate,
they are afraid to use this weapon. We understand and that’s why we’re here, to
show people how to use the vaccine and why it’s necessary. He emphasised that
the low vaccine uptake is seen every day in the high death rates in people
infected with coronavirus.

Another initiative to boost the vaccination rate got under way in Timișoara, in the west, where a group of resident doctors from the intensive
care unit of the Victor Babes Hospital have embarked on a door-to-door campaign
and on the streets of the city to explain to people why vaccination is
important and why they must continue to respect restrictions and health norms.

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Romania, over 50,000
people have died in battle with the virus in this country. (CM)