Vaccination to target more priority groups

2021-01-21 14:00:00

Daniela Budu

Government includes new priority groups in phase two of mass vaccination campaign under way in Romania.

PM Florin Cîțu announces changes to vaccination strategy. (Photo: gov.ro)

More and more people are getting the Covid vaccine every day in Romania, and prime minister Florin Cîţu says the country will get 2.4 million doses of vaccine by the end of March. The government has amended the National Vaccination Strategy to expand the list of priority social groups targeted by the second phase of the ongoing mass vaccination campaign. Persons over the age of 65, chronic patients and key workers will thus be joined by the crew of river and maritime ships, members of diplomatic missions, athletes taking part in international competitions, the homeless and people with disabilities, as well as key workers from public institutions. Florin Cîţu explains:

"The institutions that are necessary for the functioning of the state are advised to make a list of key workers who can receive the vaccine at this stage."

The prime minister said there will also be a so-called "phase 3 A", which may get under way as early as March, targeting private sector employees whose work involves contact with the public. Florin Cîţu:

"Phase three was divided into phase three A and the standard phase. Three A will target people working in the private sector who come into contact with the public, such as supermarket or bank employees."

The prime minister also said he hoped Romania will be able to vaccinate as many as 150,000 people a day and that more than one million people should receive the second dose by the end of phase two. "Phase two began two weeks earlier because we had a reserve of vaccine. If things go well, we will speed up phase three as well", explained the prime minister.

Following a high demand for vaccination and the limited number of existing doses, most counties have run out of available appointments for the next three weeks. The authorities are planning to open new centres in every county and say the vaccination campaign is on schedule. In keeping with Romania's vaccination strategy and the firm recommendations of the European Medicines Agency, vaccination centres receive both the first and the second dose. (CM)