Radio România Internațional

Tag: Valeriu

  • Romania continues to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine without restrictions

    Romania continues to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine without restrictions

    A sluggish vaccine rollout or giving
    up vaccination altogether can make both us and those around to face some severe
    forms of infection. Furthermore, they can undermine that community immunity we are
    struggling to achieve in order to contain and do away with the toxic effects of
    the present pandemic.




    The statement was made by military
    physician Valeriu Gheorghita, in charge of Romania’s vaccine rollout at the end
    of a working meeting upon which the authorities decided to carry on the
    national vaccination programme by using the vaccine produced by Swedish-British
    group AstraZeneca. The vaccine has sparked off heated debates across Europe after
    the discovery of rare cases of blood clots in some patients. The Romanian
    authorities’ decision was influenced by the major risk posed by the Covid-19
    infection.




    Valeriu Gheorghiţă: As the European Medicines Agency
    and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control put it, the COVID-19
    infection is associated with a significant risk of hospitalization and death,
    including through thrombosis. On the other hand, the blood clots that appeared
    in some patients post-vaccination are an extremely rare phenomenon and the
    overall benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. As a conclusion, against
    the present epidemiological background in Romania, it is important that vaccine
    rollout be carried on with all the doses available and at higher parameters. It is very important that a higher percentage
    of the population get immunized as soon as possible in order to curb the negative
    effects of this pandemic.


    Physician Valeriu Gheorghiţă has
    given assurances the authorities in the field and medical experts in Romania
    are permanently monitoring with responsibility and care all the available
    scientific data over the safety and efficiency of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the
    other vaccines authorized. According to Gheorghita, drug safety mechanisms across
    Europe are fully operational and we must have confidence that experts with the
    European Medicines Agency are closely monitoring all the side effects reported.




    Asked about the ECHR announcement
    that compulsory vaccination may be necessary in democratic societies,
    Gheorghita denied that the Romanian authorities have considered this aspect
    adding that in Romania, vaccination is free, voluntary and done with vaccines
    authorized by the European Medicines Agency.


    (bill)

  • Priorities have changed in Romania’s vaccination campaign

    Priorities have changed in Romania’s vaccination campaign

    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)