Priorities have changed in Romania’s vaccination campaign

Authorities in Romania have changed the countrys vaccination strategy in its second stage. Certain categories of people have been given priority

Daniela Budu, 22.01.2021, 14:00

The government
in Bucharest is changing its strategy with the anti-Covid vaccination campaign.
The elderly and those with chronic conditions have been given priority over
other categories of people. The
vaccination platform allowing Romanians to schedule the date of their immunization
will be earmarking three quarters of its available places to the elderly and
people with chronic conditions and only one quarter to those working in
Romania’s key sectors of activity.

Besides people above
65, those with chronic conditions and employees in Romania’s key sectors of
activity, priority has also been given to ship crews on various sea and river
routes, members of diplomatic missions, athletes participating in various
international competitions, shop assistants in food chains, farmers and local
administration employees.

Last but not
least, the handicapped had been added to the priority list, as well as those
with low immunity and the homeless.

Heads of
ministries, state-owned companies, the National Bank, the Ombudsman or the
Constitutional Court must provide a list with the key employees, the only ones
with the right to get immunized in this stage. Romania’s Education Minister Sorin
Cîmpeanu has announced that 126 thousand employees who might get in direct
contact with the students will be prioritized for immunization until February 8th,
when the second school semester is due to kick off.

According to the
Romanian official, the number of teachers applying for immunization has
increased. An IRES survey shows that the Romanians’ perception of the
anti-Covid vaccine has improved, as 4 out of 10 Romanians say they will get the
vaccine and only 1 out of 5 has decided otherwise.

Authorities say
that at this moment, the demand for immunization is higher than the available
vaccine doses, but new supplies are expected in the following period so that
everybody can get the vaccine in the future.

Army doctor Valeriu
Gheorghiță, coordinator of the national vaccination campaign has told a TV
station that we have enough doses of vaccine for now, but the first half of
February will be complicated. According to official data, roughly 500 thousand
people have been scheduled for immunization until February 8th plus
those scheduled for a second booster vaccination. According to Gheorghita, the
number of doses available will be much higher in April.

However, the US
pharmaceutical group Pfizer has halved the quantity of anti-Covid vaccine to be
delivered to some EU countries this week and Romania will get only 50% of the
quantity decided. The situation is going to improve gradually and is expected
to normalize in late March, the Romanian authorities have also announced.

(bill)