The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the ordinary immunization against other diseases. The vaccination rate among children declined to under 90%, while the World Health Organization recommends immunization coverage of 95%, Svetlana Nicolăescu, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, stated in a news conference held on the occasion of the European Immunization Week that is celebrated on April 24-30, IPN reports.
The functionary said the children who weren’t immunized should get the vaccines specified in the National Program as soon as possible. The COVID-19 vaccination rate is of only 35% so that the population remains vulnerable to new variants of the novel coronavirus. The Ukrainian refugees also have access to vaccines.
National Public Health Agency director Nicolae Jelamschi said that immunization prevents about 2-3 million deaths caused by infectious diseases worldwide. Over 20 diseases can be now prevented with the assistance of vaccines, such as cervical cancer, cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis B, encephalitis, measles, meningitis, parotitis, tuberculosis, pertussis, pneumonia, poliomyelitis, rabies, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, typhoid fever, flu, COVID-19 and others.
The number of children who get vaccinated as the WHO recommends has remained unchanged globally the last few years, but in 2020 diminished to 83% from 86% 2019. In Moldova, immunization coverage with particular types of vaccine, primarily against mumps, measles, pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus, also decreased. “This endangers not only the life and health of those who will contract these infections, but also the health of those around,” stated Nicolae Jelamschi.
