Some 700,294 have registered to have the Covid-19 shot in the last week after Romania entered the second phase of the vaccine campaign.
People over 65, those with chronic illnesses, and essential workers are eligible for the vaccine in the second phase of the vaccination campaign which began on January 15.
Authorities said that 700,294 had registered for the vaccine from Friday until the morning of Friday January 22.
There were about 315,500 people over 65, about 162,000 with chronic illnesses, and some 262,500 people working in key sectors.
Romania is set to receive a new batch of 180,000 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine next week, which will add to the 130,000 doses currently in storage, the Covid czar Valeriu Gheorghita said.
He said half a million people are scheduled to get the vaccine by February 8, adding the first two weeks of February „will be complicated.”
He said that “500,000 people are scheduled until February 8, plus those who have already received the first dose and have to get the second dose.”
„It is clear that the demand for vaccination far exceeds the vaccine availability we have today. I want to add that we also want to increase the number of vaccinated people as soon as possible,” Dr. Gheorghita said. But he also explained that the vaccination campaign is conditioned by the number of vaccine doses available.
If the AstraZeneca vaccine is also approved, the number of doses may increase, Dr Gheorghita said.
Romania has received vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Prime Minister Florin Citu said this week that the government’s goal is to have 10.4 million people vaccinated by September.
Romania’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign is in three stages: the first one targeted medical personnel, while the second phase covered vulnerable groups and key workers. The final stage will target the rest of the population.
Some 328,400 received the first dose and 9,800 had also received the booster by Thursday.
