Financiarul

State Secretary with the Health Ministry Adrian Streinu¬Cercel on Thursday recommended that the population targeted for vaccination against the A/H1N1 swine flu virus be immunised, all the more so as a mutation in the pandemic virus has been reported in neighbouring Ukraine that attacks the lungs.

He said that no mutation of the virus has been recorded in Romania yet. Cercel said that serious cases have been reported in the central cities of Harghita and Miercurea Ciuc and the western city of Oradea, besides the ones already recorded in the eastern city of Iasi, but the ill persons are under medical surveillance because they are also afflicted with other ailments, including obesity and diabetes.

The Romanian Health Ministry recommends vaccination against A/H1N1 flu, but it does not mandate mass immunisation. Anyone may decide for or against vaccination, but everybody should be aware that vaccination is the only personal defence and a way of protecting the people around, the ministry says. Romania is the seventh European country to produce a pandemic vaccine against the swine flu, and 11th in the world.

Director of the National Flu Reference Centre Ion Viorel Alexandrescu says this is a an adjuvant-free vaccine without major side effects, except for reddening at the site of the injection, local pain, like any other vaccines, and in just one percent of the cases it may cause headaches. Other reactions may also occur, but in the same category as the one mentioned – allergic reactions in the case of sensitivised persons and slight fever.

Chairman of the National Drugs Agency Daniel Boda says the vaccine is not recommended for children yet, because it had to be approved for use in adults first, after which the Cantacuzino Institute of Bucharest, the producer, will submit a protocol to the agency to be cleared for use in children. Boda has called on all doctors to report any adverse reaction to the vaccine. There have been 2,666 new swine flu cases recorded in Romania so far.