COVID-19 Vaccination in Romania and the Benefits of the National Electronic Registry of Vaccinations

Abstract

Background: Recording real-time data of vaccinations performed, vaccine stocks, and adverse events following immunization is a particularly useful activity in the effective development of any vaccination campaign or vaccination program, guiding the decisions of public health authorities. The aim of this paper is to present the benefits of the National Electronic Registry of Vaccinations in providing useful information for the optimization of healthcare vaccination policies, specifically related to COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: We performed a descriptive study using data available in the reports generated from the National Electronic Registry of Vaccinations regarding COVID-19 vaccinations performed between 27 December 2020 and 31 December 2021. Results: A total of 27,980,270 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were distributed. Of these, 15,757,638 (56%) were administered in 4545 vaccination centers: 7,882,458 as the 1st dose (50%), 5,878,698 as the 2nd dose (37%), and 1,996,482 as the 3rd dose (13%). More than 25% of the total doses were administered to people over 65 years of age. A total of 41% of the population received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 4083 adverse events following immunization were reported. Conclusions: The existence of a National Electronic Registry of Vaccinations containing accurate information on vaccinations performed in Romania offers the opportunity to obtain a clear picture of vaccination status that will significantly contribute to the optimization of vaccination strategies and programs.