The sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is already here, and the number of cases registered in Romania has been steadily increasing in recent weeks. The peak of the sixth wave is expected in Romania in mid-August, experts of the National Institute of Public Health report.

“The sixth wave will still not be at the level of the 4th wave, when there was a very high pressure on the health care system,” Dr. Florin Rosu, ATI doctor and head of the hospital, told HotNews.ro. Infectious Sfanta Paraskeva in Iasi.

Should I be vaccinated if I only have two doses of the vaccine? But what if I have 3?

Even if wave 6 is not yet the worst, how can we protect ourselves from infection? The golden rules remain vaccination, wearing a mask and avoiding crowded places.

However, many people only have two doses of the vaccine, and those in many cases last year, and are wondering whether they should get a third now or wait until the fall.

I asked Dr. Florin Rosa whether those with only two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine should get vaccinated now or wait until the fall: “From my point of view, those who have only received two doses are fine, for the time being, to have a third vaccine dose. And sometime in the fall and winter, we are waiting for a new vaccine that will better cover the Omicron variant and possibly other new strains. It will be a one-time vaccine, just like the flu vaccine, which is trivalent or quadrivalent,” the doctor answered.

Dr. Florin Rosu, Director of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Iasi

It is important to say that studies have shown that those who are vaccinated with three doses have more than 80% protection, and none of the vaccinated developed severe forms, emphasizes Dr. Florin Rosu.

However, for people who have already received 3 doses of the vaccine, Dr. Florin Roseu says he does not recommend a fourth dose at this time.

“The sixth wave will still not be at the level of the 4th wave, when there was a very high pressure on the health care system,” says the head of the infectious disease hospital in Iasi. “At the moment we are benefiting from assessment and treatment centers where only positive patients are represented. They can also be treated at home if they do not have an acute form or co-morbidities,” explains doctor Florin Rosu.

He also says that “we don’t have many serious cases in Iasi. We also have patients admitted to intensive care but with serious co-morbidities and unvaccinated. And the average age in intensive care is about 60-70 years old with serious concomitant diseases.”

Where can you get vaccinated after the centers are closed?

As of July 1, all vaccination centers in Romania, including hospitals, were closed, and vaccinations against COVID-19 moved exclusively to the offices of family doctors.

In addition, last month the National Committee for the Coordination of Activities on Vaccination against COVID-19 (CNCAV), which was first headed by the military doctor Valeriu Giorgitse and later by Andrej Bachu, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, was closed. For a year and a half, CNCAV coordinated the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in Romania.

From July 1, vaccination against COVID-19 is possible only in the offices of family doctors.

GPs are not required to administer the COVID-19 vaccines in their practice, but can only do so if they wish. Practically, the vaccine against COVID-19 is not available in all family medicine dispensaries, but only in some – we are talking about family doctors who decided to join the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

If the vaccine is not available at your family doctor’s office, you can get vaccinated at any other office.

The list of family medicine dispensaries that carry out vaccinations against COVID-19 is available on the website of the Ministry of Health (click here for the full list).