UPDATE Iohannis: It seems that over 80% of healthcare workers want to be vaccinated against COVID-19

President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that the intention to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus exists "to a very high degree" among Romania's healthcare workers. "It is very, very important to know that these types of vaccines that are now being approved are safe; they are effective; they measure up to the highest European standards, and that is very important news for Romanians. The team that will deal with the vaccination campaign has already checked in hospitals, among family physicians and I am very happy to tell you that I found out today (...) that the intention to get vaccinated is already at a very high level. It seems that already more than 80% of the healthcare workers want to be vaccinated, which is a very good thing and, if all goes as planned, we may be able to complete this first vaccination campaign before summer," said Iohannis after visiting a COVID-19 vaccination centre at Romexpo Exhibition Centre in Bucharest. The chief of state mentioned that the vaccination of several million people in just a few days requires opening vaccination centres, such as the one at Romexpo. "We have just visited a vaccination centre, because in order to allow the vaccination of a very large number of people - we are talking about several million people who will be vaccinated in just a few months - the intention is to open such vaccination centres. What we have here today, and you will see the pictures, is a pilot project, what the vaccination centres will look like - with a reception area, a discussion area with the doctor, the actual vaccination area and a waiting area after vaccination," explained Iohannis. The President mentioned that there will be an electronic register to keep track of the vaccinations, adding that these types of vaccine involve a two-step vaccination. "There is an electronic register where all vaccinations will be entered, an electronic register, obviously confidential, but evidence is needed from several points of view. The specificity of several types of vaccine, this time, is that it requires a two-step vaccination. So people who receive these types of vaccines will have to come twice at an interval that will be made known," added Iohannis. He also said that he is waiting for the vaccine to come and for the vaccination campaign to end for economy to restart. "We are well prepared, we are waiting for the vaccines and I can tell you that, personally, I am very satisfied with the work done by the Ministry of Health, the minister, the top official and Colonel Gheorghita, who is in charge of this vaccination campaign. I can hardly wait for the vaccine to come and for us to carry through this campaign, so that we may start rebuilding, restoring everything that was slowed down, restarting the economy and getting back to normal," said Iohannis. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)

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