The Ministry of Health has declared a measles epidemic in Romania due to the “alarming” increase in the number of cases, aiming to facilitate the vaccination of children.
“In response to the increasing number of infected children, the Ministry of Health has declared a nationwide measles epidemic to enable the vaccination of children aged 9 to 11 months and the recovery of those unvaccinated or with an incomplete vaccination schedule,” states a press release from the Ministry of Health. Currently, there are almost 2,000 cases nationwide, reported across 29 counties.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health will conduct an awareness campaign targeting parents, in collaboration with family doctors, to enhance adherence to the vaccination program.
Measles is an infectious disease that spreads easily, particularly among unvaccinated children, and in some cases, the progression can be severe with potential complications, warn officials from the Ministry of Health.
The national vaccination coverage with the first dose is 78%, and with the second dose, it is 62% among eligible children, showing a decreasing trend for more than a decade.