Romania ready to launch COVID vaccination on Dec 27, along with other EU countries

BUCHAREST, DEC 2020 - Romania is ready to start vaccination against COVID on December 27, along with other EU countries, the first to be vaccinated will be the medical staff from the 10 hospitals that were involved from the beginning in treating patients with COVID-19, authorities say. Vaccinated persons will receive a certificate containing data on the batch and series of the vaccine.

The declared vaccine acceptance rate is different between COVID and non-COVID hospitals. In COVID hospitals, it is over 95%, while in the rest of the hospitals the acceptance rate is 70% for those with higher education and around 50% for those with secondary education.

There is also a degree of acceptance of vaccination of about 80% among family physicians.

In anticipation of the start of vaccination on December 27, for the medical staff at the forefront of the fight against the virus, the Cantacuzino Institute is already ready to receive vaccines, with a capacity of 1.5 million doses to be distributed to county centers, and the chain distribution will be supported by the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health, News.ro reports .

The vaccination campaign will involve 1,500 to 2,000 doctors, 4,500 nurses and 2,000 registrars , who would be paid, and discussions on this topic are ongoing.

The second stage of vaccination is expected to start in February.

Medical authorities say there is no need for pre-vaccination testing, with the argument that about 10% of volunteers involved in the vaccine testing phase went through the disease and did not know it, as did people who had the active virus and had a very good answer.

According to the same authorities, even those who are vaccinated will have to wear a mask until an immunity rate of over 60-70% is reached. Each vaccinated person will receive a vaccination certificate and will be contacted the day before to report for the booster.

The vaccination certificate will be written in both Romanian and English, and will contain mentions regarding the batch and the series of the vaccine, being a forensic document.

According to the authorities, most of those who are reluctant to get vaccinated say they do not have enough information, which is why information campaigns will be launched.

The Minister of Health, Nelu Tătaru, announced on Wednesday that the first 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with which 5,000 people will be vaccinated, will arrive in the country between Christmas and New Year and will be distributed to the medical staff working in infectious disease departments.

"On December 21, it is expected to have the approval for this vaccine of the European Medicines Agency. From then on, they can reach each of the 27 member countries. Between Christmas and New Year's Eve, there will be a first symbolic tranche of 10,000 doses, which means vaccination and booster for 5,000 people, which we will direct to the wards. infectious diseases ", declared Nelu Tătaru on Wednesday afternoon, at Digi 24.

Minister Tătaru mentioned that, starting with January, Romania will receive, in stages, monthly, other vaccines, so that until the beginning of next summer, the categories provided in the vaccination plan will be vaccinated in turn.

Regarding the transport of the vaccine, it will be done by the manufacturer, in "special transports", with freezers that can ensure temperatures of minus 80 - minus 90 degrees Celsius.

Each container contains five doses of vaccine that can be five days at two degrees, Tataru said.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the 27 EU states would be able to "start the same day" their anti-Covid vaccination campaigns after the approval of the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. 

The European Union could officially approve the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to fight the new coronavirus as early as December 23, just two days after the possible agreement of the regulatory authority, a European Commission official said on Wednesday, quoted by Reuters .

According to EU regulations, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends the approval of new medicines and vaccines, but the final decision on their marketing is taken by the European Commission, after consultation with EU governments.

The agency announced on Tuesday that it could issue a recommendation on the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on December 21.

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COURTESY universul.net

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