Two recent cases have pushed the number of flu-related deaths in Romania to 50 this winter, the National Center for the Supervision and Control of Transmissible Diseases (CNSCBT) said.

Both men who died, aged 42 and 71, had preexisting medical conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu.

Sorina Pintea, Romania’s health minister, again said that “under no circumstance” can a flu epidemic be declared since the number of deaths is below the level predicted by specialists, Agerpres reported.

“This is a high number of deaths but it is not above the level that specialists predicted. Beginning this week, the number of cases will be lower, so we cannot talk about declaring an epidemic, there was never talk about it. Only two weeks ago was the minimum predicted level exceeded. The maximum level was never reached during the period. It is indeed sad that 47 people died, but we are within the expected limits,” Pintea said, on February 22.

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editor@romania-insider.com