Opposition Party Urges Health Minister To Declare Flu Epidemic

The party also wants the ruling coalition to “urgently unblock” a bill which would amend the country’s Vaccination Law.

“USR imperatively requests minister Sorina Pintea to declare a flu epidemic, at least in the cities or counties with the most confirmed cases, such as Bucharest, Constanta, Arges, Arad or Olt. Urgent measures need to be taken to stop the flu’s spread: instating a crisis cell and better communication with public health authorities. Will we wait until 100 people die, as was the case last year?” the party said in a statement.

USR also urged the citizens to buy their own flu shots from drug stores, as the country’s Government “does not consider immunization a priority”. It also pointed out that Romania is one of the countries with the lowest rates of flu immunization among the populace in Europe, with only 5.2% of Romanians having received flu shots.

The minister initially stated on January 15 that there were no basis for a flu epidemic, attributing the high number of cases to a more intense circulation of the virus due to weather conditions. She changed her stance days later as the number of cases and deaths continued to grow, saying that the country is “on the verge of a flu epidemic”.