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Health Ministry: 1,725 cases of measles were confirmed, seven deaths caused by this disease
Spokesman of the Health Ministry Valentin Popescu announced that, so far, a number of 1,725 cases of measles were confirmed, also being recorded seven deaths caused by this disease.
"Currently a number of 1,725 cases (of measles - e.n.) are confirmed. There are recorded seven deaths, and in respect to the eight death a diagnosis hasn't yes been confirmed. Currently at the Cantacuzino Institute there are samples in order to be analyzed and we will see in the following period if the samples confirm that the death was caused by measles in this case also," he stated within a press statement given to press.
The cases of measles were recorded in 32 counties, most of them being encountered in Arad (454), Mures (238) and Timis (240). Valentin Popescu mentioned that, following the epidemic, the Health Ministry, together with experts of the UNICEF's World Health Organization and experts from the Public Health Institute they are aiming to create a series of measures in order to decrease the age for receiving a vaccine.
"These measures regard declining the age for receiving a vaccine to 9 months, because a characteristic of this epidemic is that it affects children under one year old, and for children between the ages of five to nine, who didn't receive a second dose of vaccine, they are called to vaccination. Even now family doctors are making a list of theses children, the vaccine is distributed to the family doctors so that the vaccination can be carried out. There are enough doses of vaccine for this disease. There are over 300,000 doses available on a national level, which will be distributed to family doctors there, where is a need," he explained.
Valentin Popescu underlined that the Health Ministry message for parents is to go to their family doctor and vaccine their child, if they know they haven't received the vaccine doses according to the national calendar of vaccination.
In respect to the stocks of rabies serum, he mentioned that reserves are assured in case of emergency situations.
"It was a problem of the producer and because of that, the producer couldn't supply an entire quantity of serum. In exchange, a quantity of rabies serum for emergency situations was provided to our country, quantity that currently is at Unifarm and it is used where emergency situations appear. During this month the stock will be refilled, because there were information that the producer resolved the production problems," Valentin Popescu added.