The large number of cases of respiratory infections leads to the overcrowding of emergencies and pediatric sections. The situation of many patients would not be complicated in such a way as to require hospitalization if the doctors’ recommendations were followed, did not question.
Many hospitalizations could be avoided if parents followed by photo doctors: UNSPLASH
The small percentage of the population that opted in the flu season 2024-2025 for vaccination makes the flu increase, with each day, the number of victims. Although the vaccine can be given to children, from the age of 6 months, few are the parents who have immunized the little ones. However, the refusal of vaccination is not limited to the optional vaccines, as is the case of the flu, but also those in the national vaccination scheme, and the effects are worrying.
The decreasing vaccination rate has led to the measles epidemic, ROR being the vaccine that parents are most afraid. Balș ”.
“The most refused vaccine at the present time is ROR (measles, rubella, mump), which has led to two very large epidemics in the last 10 years, one in 2016, the latest in 2024, when hundreds of measles were registered. At national level, both in children eligible for vaccination and infants under 9 months, ineligible for vaccination. The reasons are diverse, from false hypotheses that it would be related to its administration of various behavioral disorders, to ignorance and replacement of vaccines with oils or other adjuvants. I would say that the main reason is still lack of information ”says the doctor.
And not only the fear of vaccine puts their mark on the health of the children, but the doctors are also seen in a position to disassemble the parents, with certain laboratory results, presumptive diagnoses with which they have been presented after reading various things on the Internet. “I have many cases in my mind that could never know me if they had respected the recommendations of pediatrics, family doctors, and would have been vaccinated. I had children who had febrile seizures because the parents considered the dangerous antipyretics due to the large amount of sugar, children with various overinfections, who refused to administer antibiotics, or children I lost because of the tetanus. “said the doctor.
Most cases that infectious doctors face during this period are those caused by the influenza virus, but there are also children admitted to infections with syncytial respiratory virus or convulsive cough. When we talk about the flu, says Dr. Merișescu, all age categories are affected, but young children are generally the most vulnerable and can present severe forms of disease, given the immaturity of their immune system.
If the parents would choose to come up with children to the doctor for influenza vaccination, the number of those who arrive at the hospital today would be undoubtedly lower, and the percentage of those who would be relieved of the risk of passing through serious consequences would be even higher when we talk. of other vaccines.
“The flu vaccine protects against influenza, we will certainly face far fewer cases among children and especially few complicated cases where hospitalization would be required. If we refer to other vaccines included in the national vaccination scheme, the percentage would certainly be even higher. I mean at convulsive coughmeasles, varicella ”explains the doctor.
What makes certain parents refuse vaccination in the case of vaccines in the national vaccination scheme is the lack of information, believes Dr. Merișescu. There are countries where the state supports more vaccines, and the introduction of some of them would also be required in Romania, stresses Dr. Mădălina Merișescu.
“Vaccines certainly save lives! Parents who are informed from safe medical sources, consult the specialists in the field, make the best decisions regarding the health and future of their children, choosing to vaccinate them even with additional vaccines. I consider it necessary to introduce in the national scheme of vaccination of anti -the -vocococcal vaccines, as are in western Europe or in the US. However, the introduction of new vaccines should be preceded by the population information campaigns about the benefits of vaccination and these campaigns should be very well run to be successful ”, the doctor thinks.
Most parents who refuse vaccination are documented from insecure sources, such as Facebook, Tiktok and others, or assumes the opinions of knowledge that seem trained from a medical point of view, explains Dr. Merișescu what gives the parents “courage” to question the sayings of the doctors.
Another behavior that can seriously harm the health of children is the habit of parents to call on Google when they are facing a problem. This makes it often present in front of the doctor with a diagnosis that they have established.
“Obviously Dr. Google is present everyday Around us and we often have to disassemble some myths between parents. Often they already come up with some presumptive diagnoses, which we must deny and manage to prove based on the medical analyzes and the necessary procedures that is the correct diagnosis in each case. By GPT chat I haven’t hit myself yet personally, but nothing is excluded in this world full of technology. I do not contest the efficiency of these search engines in other fields, but in medicine, in the diagnosis of patients, we should still let the human factor be a decision -making for added the doctor.
With all the challenges, including the above, the specialty of infectious diseases, says Dr. Mădălina Merișescu, is “the most beautiful specialty”, and the high healing rate and the immeasurable satisfaction that come from working with children are among arguments. What is necessary to happen in Romania, the doctor points out, is to intensify the fight to keep the doctors who choose to finish at least 10 years of studies in the country, because there are not enough specialists in the medical field.
