Romania has the needed capacity to store the Covid-19 vaccine at the required temperature when it becomes available, doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, the coordinator of the national Covid-19  vaccination campaign, told television station Digi24.

The vaccine, which “in the best-case scenario” would arrive in Romania at the end of December, would be stored at the Cantacuzino Institute in Bucharest. Six other regional storage centers, hosted at military hospitals, would also be available, Gheorghiţă explained.

“We currently have all we need. The main storage center in Romania will be the Cantacuzino Institute. There will be six other regional centers, at six military hospitals, which will be endowed- and the equipment exists – with these freezers with the capacity to store a high number of doses at minus 80 degrees [Celsius]. All of them are there; they all need to be distributed to the regional centers. The manufacturer of this vaccine ensures the delivery to these regional centers,” he explained.

Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius, while Moderna’s  can remain stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for 30 days, the company announced. It remains stable at -20° C for up to six months.

For other types of vaccines, which do not require special freezers, the manufacturer offers the delivery to a central warehouse. 

Gheorghiță also explained that the vaccination would be done based on appointment as the vaccine remains stable for only four to five days after being removed from the special freezer. There will be a centralized list of appointments. 

The vaccination centers will be set up at the level of hospitals for the medical staff. Other centers, both fixed and mobile, will be set up for rural areas and people with disabilities, Gheorghiță explained.

There will also be a communication campaign regarding vaccination. 

“There will be a platform where everyone can find the most important information about vaccination and the types of vaccines. Besides this platform, there will be several communicators, who are health experts, professional associations, including patient associations, experts and opinion leaders from other areas – culture and the arts, as long as they want to be part of this campaign,” he explained.

(Photo: Siam Pukkato/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com