Health Ministry might prevent Romanian doctors from working with patients until they get the swine flu jab

Romanian Health Ministry asks all doctors to get the swine flu jab. In his note sent to county public health authorities, he indicates that the medical staff refusing the jab risks to have medical activity involving patients suspended.

According to the document quoted by Romanian TV channel Realitatea TV, all GPs are complied to vaccine against swine flu, „this being a priority at this point”.

„We do not wish to receive complaints from patients that GPs don’t have the vaccine or refuse to vaccinate against the A/H1N1 flu. Disrespecting these obligations will lead to a breach in the work contract with CNAS {Romanian National Health Insurance House]”, writes the Health Ministry, under state secretary Adrian Streinu Cercel’s signature.

But not all doctors agree with the measure: „It is illegal to force someone to vaccine, no matter who is concerned. Plus, the ministry should thing about pregnant women in the early pregnancy stage, people who are allergic and those currently under a treatment that prevents vaccination. Moreover, the proposal is not clear, so we asked for clarifications”, Dr. Bogdan Oprita, spokesman for Floreasca Emergency Hospital from Bucharest, declared for Realitatea TV.