The measles epidemic continues to wreak havoc. 490 new cases were registered in the last week, according to the National Institute of Public Health.
Measles has killed 21 people since last year. Photo source: archive
In Romania, we have had a measles epidemic since the winter of last year, and new cases of the disease appear every week.
Since the beginning of the reporting period, January 1, 2023, there have been 21 deaths due to measles (5 in Bucharest Municipality, 4 in Brașov County, 3 in Giurgiu County, 2 in Argeș County, 1 in Mureș County, 1 in Sibiu County , 1 in Buzău county, 1 in Constanța county, 1 in Iași county, 1 in Alba county and 1 in Ialomița county).
Between January 1, 2023 and July 28, 2024, 22,124 confirmed cases of measles were notified in Romania. The cases were reported in all the counties of the country and in the Municipality of Bucharest.
The MMR vaccine saves lives
According to doctors, as long as parents refuse to vaccinate their children, we will not get rid of the epidemic anytime soon. Specialists sound the alarm: measles is an eradicable disease that should not have existed. Moreover, we are talking about an extremely contagious and often fatal condition. and when it doesn’t kill, it can leave lasting effects.
According to INSP, between December 6, 2023 and July 28, 2024, 211,543 doses of the MMR vaccine were used, of which 34,466 doses were used for children aged between 9 and 11 months.
The MMR vaccine protects the child from three diseases; measles, mumps and rubella. He should receive the first dose of vaccine when he turns one year old, and the second dose of vaccine – at five years old. The vaccine is issued free of charge to children up to 18 years of age, as part of the national vaccination scheme.
