Flu Vaccination in Romania

This year, the Health Ministry's flu immunization campaign is running late.

Daniela Budu, 17.10.2016, 13:41

Cold weather has
already settled in Romania, so the number of viral infections is on the rise.
Over 71,000 people have seen a doctor lately, suffering from respiratory
infections, which is 37% more than in the previous season. The good news is that
no case of influenza has been reported so far. The vaccination campaign is due
to start at the end of the month, and authorities say it will be run according
to plan. Family doctors, however, say that the Health Ministry has not bought
enough doses.

The president of the National Federation of Family Doctor
Associations Doina Mihaila has stated that the vaccines have not even reached
doctors’ offices yet:

We don’t have
these vaccines yet and, from what I’ve been told, we shouldn’t expect them any
time soon. If we were to set an average per family doctor, after we subtract
the shots for institutionalized children and senior citizens, what’s left is
probably some 15-20 vaccines per doctor, depending on the number of patients,
so some will have seven, or eight, other maximum 20. And when your list o
patients counts 2000, how can one select only 20?

Doctors recommend
flu immunization especially for children, old people and chronic patients, the
medical staff and pregnant women. According to statistics, these are the most
vulnerable categories. They recommend flu vaccination as a means of preventing
serious complications.

Similar problems
have been reported in relation to the hexavalent vaccine, used to immunize
children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenza type
B, viral hepatitis B and poliomyelitis.
Even if there have been discontinuances in the distribution of this vaccine,
because of the distribution company,
the vaccine is now in warehouses, and the first batches should soon
reach family doctors, the Health Ministry has announced.

On the other hand, the number of cases of
measles is on the rise. The line ministry has called on parents to not refuse
immunization, as fresh cases were reported last month. Authorities have given
assurances that there are enough doses and have announced that the number of
infections has increased to 800 across the country. The solution found by the
ministry to boost immunization is a warning system that would announce parents
the right time to vaccinate their children. The idea was devised under the
GovITHub governmental program, developed at the request of the Health Minister
Vlad Voiculescu. Authorities would like to implement it as soon as possible,
explaining that, if at least 100 parents allow their children to be vaccinated,
and thus stay healthy, the program will be a success.