Romanian doctor Achieves 100% Vaccination Rate in His Village Amidst Resurgent Measles threat
Sadova, Dolj County, Romania – While a recent measles outbreak has claimed the lives of 30 Romanian children, one family doctor in the village of Sadova has maintained a perfect record: zero measles cases among his patients in the last 17 years, and 100% vaccination rates for the children under his care. Dr.gindrovel Dumitra gained recognition during the 2016 measles epidemic for successfully convincing all parents in his locality to vaccinate thier children.
The resurgence of measles in 2023 found Dr. Dumitra’s practise uniquely protected. He attributes his success not to a single, nationwide solution, but to addressing localized factors. “If children who are not vaccinated will be analyzed, we will see that we have a feature: in certain areas, in certain localities, almost all children are unvaccinated. Why? Because this is the social norm in the respective area: non-vaccination,” he explained. He reports having encountered parental “reluctance” rather than outright refusal, and successfully addressed their concerns through direct explanation and dialog.
This situation highlights a critical challenge facing public health in Romania, where pockets of unvaccinated populations remain vulnerable to preventable diseases. Further reporting on this issue will continue in the coming days.
This report is part of the Pulse project, a European initiative promoting cross-border journalistic partnerships co-financed by the European Commission. HotNews.ro collaborates with publications including Delfi (Lithuania),Deník Referendum (Czech Republic),Der Standard (Austria),Efsyn and El Confidential (Spain),Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland),MediaPool and Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy),coordinated by OBCT (Italy),N-OST (Germany),and Voxeurop (france).
