Covid-19: Romania to start administering third vaccine dose next week

Those who received the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine more than six months ago can receive the third dose beginning September 28, the committee coordinating the vaccination campaign (CNCAV) announced.

The decision to give the booster shot was taken “given the serious epidemiological situation in Romania and the need to provide a maximum of protection to citizens against Covid-19,” CNCAV said.

Any of the available mRNA vaccines (Pfizer&BioNTech or Moderna) will be given as a third dose, regardless of the type of vaccine used for the first two doses. The Johnson&Johnson vaccine started being used in the country on May 4, so no third dose is needed yet in the case of those vaccinated with it, CNCAV explained.

The third dose is recommended to people at risk of developing severe forms of the illness – people over 65, those who have chronic illnesses (regardless of age), those in care-medical centers, and other vulnerable categories outlined in the vaccination strategy. It is also recommended to those with a high exposure risk, such as healthcare or teaching staff. Other categories, who received the second dose more than six months ago, regardless of whether they experienced the illness, can also receive the third dose, CNCAV said.

People can register for the third dose on the Government-run booking platform or go to a vaccination center. Mobile teams will be deployed for those who cannot go to a vaccination center.

The decision comes as the number of daily Covid-19 cases increased significantly since the beginning of the month. On September 22, more than 7,000 cases were reported. Meanwhile, 5,286,623 were fully vaccinated by the same date.

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