Romania has transitioned to a “life-course immunization” approach, extending protection from the pediatric segment to adults. This shift is supported by new legislative mechanisms that allow for the reimbursement of vaccines that prevent respiratory diseases. The pillars of prevention include: the pediatric program, through BCG vaccination and the hexavalent and pneumococcal schedules administered at 2, 4 and 11 months, along with adult protection, through the use of the PCV20 conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (single dose), technologically adapted influenza vaccines (including high-dose for the elderly), and the dTpa booster every 10 years. Among innovations, we mention the availability of vaccination against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for adults over 60 and pregnant women (for infant protection). The success depends on multidisciplinary collaboration, strict adherence to the cold chain (2-8°C) and the mandatory reporting in the National Electronic Vaccination Registry (RENV). Although barriers such as vaccine hesitancy exist, these new policies aim to reduce the burden on hospitals by preventing infectious exacerbations.
Dumitra et al. (Thu,) studied this question.