Authorities hope to reach a rate of vaccination of 100,000 doses per day
On Friday, 432,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are expected to arrive in Romania. In April, three million vaccine doses are expected to arrive in the country, including those of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, that doesn’t need a second dose.
Authorities hope to reach a rate of vaccination of 100,000 doses per day. In order to achieve this, new centers will be open, while family doctors will be involved in the immunization process. Meanwhile, Romania again registered a record number of COVID patients hospitalized in the intensive care units: 1,434. 6,115 new cases have been reported in the country and also 136 deaths associated with the coronavirus. Ilfov district continues to have the highest infection rate – 9.45 per one thousand inhabitants – and more than half of the towns there are in lockdown. In Cluj-Napoca, restrictions meant for crossing the 7.5 cases per one thousand inhabitants will be put in place on Friday. Shops will close at 6 p.m. and movement will be restricted after 8 p.m. during the week.
Survey on the perception on the vaccine and reasons why people would take it
Most of the Romanians who hesitate to be immunized against the coronavirus fear that the vaccine would affect their health. This is the conclusion reached by a survey about the perception people have on the vaccine and their reasons to get vaccinated, conducted by the Buyer Brain company, specialized in neuroscience and buyers’ behavior.
The most important reasons that lead people away from the vaccine are fear of the long-term adverse reactions – 32%, mistrust in the efficiency of the vaccine – 20%, the potential interaction with other illnesses – 18% and conspiracies – 15%. The survey shows that women are less open to the idea of vaccination and the most hesitant are young adults. Only 30% of people aged between 18 and 35 would take a vaccine right away, most of them saying the virus doesn’t represent a high enough risk for them. At the opposite end are people over 65, where percentage of those who wouldn’t get vaccinated is of only 9%. The most important decision influencers are the family – for 44% of the repones – and doctors – 33%. Also, friends and colleagues have a strong impact on our behavior, the influence being especially visible between the ages of 18 and 35. Another conclusion is that young men are strongly influenced, on a subconscious level, by their mothers in their decision to be vaccinated. No other age group has shown such a strong maternal link, say the authors of the research.
In some cities protests continued against the restrictive measures imposed by the authorities
Protests continued on Thursday in some cities, against the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the authorities. Compared to the days before, demonstrations have been smaller. In Bucharest, protesters have gathered in very small numbers in University Square and, in the evening, they marched towards Victory Square, where their number grew to 100-200. They are discontent by the functioning hours of shops, by the movement restrictions and by the ablativity of mask wearing outdoors.
Around 150 young people took part in the demonstration in Oradea. In Arad, almost 300 people stopped outside the City Hall, then started to march but they were stopped before reaching the Emergency Clinical Hospital. In return, some people in Arad brought vases filled with flowers outside the COVID Hospital in the city.
“We have gathered here to show our gratitude for the doctors and the work they have been doing this last year to save the patients, to tell them we don’t agree to all the swearing you can hear in the square and to thank them from the bottom of our hearts, to send them our support”
“We come here to counterbalance what is happening there, in the square. To walk in the courtyard of a hospital and shout “Assassins!” at the doctors, I can’t stop thinking if these people ever need a doctor what will they shout then?”
Alexandra Ioniță
