December 25, 2020 – a day which was expected by many as a day of hope for a future where society will be able to fully get back to the normal life, the life before this pandemic. This is the day when anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine arrives in all the EU countries.
The vaccine arrives in Romania as well. The first 10,000 doses arrive in the first day of Christmas and will be distributed to the hospitals across the country. In total, Romania is to receive 10 million doses of vaccine.
The actual vaccination campaign starts on Sunday, December 27, 9.00 local time and the authorities hope for success. Their goal is to vaccinate 70% of the population until June, meaning 13 million people, but the challenge is huge. Apart from the logistic difficulties, only 30% of the Romanian people say they want to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, in a country where only 38% of the population is pro-vaccination in general.
Vaccination is not mandatory in Romania and the recently sworn-in Government has to find out ways to persuade those 29% of the people who say they haven’t decided yet on this matter. Meanwhile, other 29% of the Romanians clearly expressed themselves against vaccination.