In Romania, vaccination against COVID-19 is free, voluntary and non-mandatory, according to the strategy published by the national information platform. Vaccination will be carried out in three stages, as follows:
• Stage 1 – Health and social workers (both public and private)
• Stage 2 – Workers carrying out activities in key, essential areas (e.g. staff in the processing, distribution and marketing of staple foods such as the bread)
• Stage 3 – The general population
Never before in the history of medicine have so many resources been involved in the development of a vaccine for a single pathology. Vaccination against COVID-19 for stages II and III will be organized in fixed and mobile vaccination centers, mobile teams, the family medicine network or drive-through centers (fixed vaccination centers set up in large urban agglomerations that allow access to people with own vehicles). The execution time will be determined according to the chosen vaccination schedule, which may include one or two doses.
Candidate vaccines
The European Commission aims to develop a diverse portfolio of vaccine candidates so as to increase the chances of having one or more vaccines available. There are currently 6 types of vaccines that are being evaluated for authorization by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
On December 1, EMA published information on the first two applications submitted by pharmaceutical companies for conditional authorizations to market vaccines against COVID-19. It is the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, respectively the RNA1273 vaccine, developed by Moderna. The evaluation of both vaccines will follow an accelerated process. EMA's scientific committees estimate that they could meet to finalize the assessment results on December 29, 2020 for the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine dossiers, and on January 12, 2021 for the vaccine developed by Moderna.
The vaccination campaign is likely to start in January 2021
The country's president, Klaus Iohannis, announced that the vaccination strategy was approved in the Supreme Council of Defense of the Country (CSAT). The head of state stated that at the end of January it is possible that the first doses of vaccine, approximately one million pieces, will arrive in Romania. The priority groups for vaccination are medical personnel and people in risk groups. Vaccination campaign that will last at least several months and it is possible that by spring the first vaccination stage will be completed.
"Vaccination is voluntary, safe, effective, planned. It is very important to know that these types of vaccine that are now being approved are safe, they are at the highest European standards." - Klaus Iohannis
The statements were made during a press conferences held on December 3.
Questions and answers about vaccination against COVID-19
Dictionary of vaccination (explanation of key terms used in the communication of the strategy for vaccination against COVID-19)
Source: www.vaccinare-covid.gov.ro (National information platform on vaccination against COVID-19)
