Deputy Prime Minister Hunor Kelemen was the first cabinet member of Romania’s center-right government, led by ex-banker Florin Cîțu, to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the press service of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (known by the Hungarian acronym RMDSZ) announced on Wednesday.
“Today, I had the opportunity to get vaccinated, and I did not hesitate for a second. Vaccination lasts only a few moments, but at the same time, it is the most effective way to be safe again, to return to normal life,” Kelemen wrote on his Facebook page.
He was followed by Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna, Minister of Interior Dan Bode and Defense Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who all stressed that vaccination is both safe and the best way to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
This public display is meant to increase Romanians’ readiness to accept the vaccine, which currently stands at around 60 percent, with the younger (16-24 years) and older (over 55) generations more inclined towards vaccination and the middle-age bracket (25-54) the least predisposed.
Cabinet members took the vaccine at the Carol Davila Central Military Hospital in the capital of Bucharest.
According to the latest data, around 196,000 Romanians, roughly one percent of the country’s population, have been vaccinated so far.
Title image: Deputy Prime Minister Hunor Kelemen takes the COVID-19 vaccine at the Carol Davila Central Military Hospital in Bucharest on January 20. (source: rmdsz.ro)
