GPs recommend flu vaccination before the epidemic spreads

The National Society of Family Medicine (SNMF) issued an appeal on Sunday, urging Romanians to contact their GP and schedule a consultation for flu vaccination before the virus begins circulating widely in the community. The recommendation applies to healthy individuals as well as those with chronic conditions, people aged over 65, children, young people, and adults.

"Contact your GP in the coming days and schedule a consultation for the flu vaccine, before the virus starts circulating widely in the community," the SNMF statement reads.

The body needs approximately two weeks to develop protection against flu following vaccination. "The vaccine does not protect you from the day you receive it, but after approximately two weeks. That is why there is no point in waiting for the first cases or the first reports of an epidemic. Flu is not a simple cold — it can lead to pneumonia, hospitalisation, and even death, particularly in vulnerable individuals," said Dr. Diana Mergeani, President of the SNMF.

Who is at greater risk

According to the SNMF President, vaccines are already available in pharmacies, and GPs are prepared to recommend the appropriate option for each patient. Doctors warn that flu can progress from mild forms to pneumonia, worsening of existing chronic conditions, and hospitalisation.

"The risk of severe forms is greater for elderly people, children, pregnant women, patients with chronic illnesses, and those with a weakened immune system," the SNMF states. For these groups, vaccination reduces both the risk of falling ill and the risk of serious complications and hospitalisation.

Impact on families and workplaces

Flu does not spare healthy individuals either, as the illness can bring days of fever, absences from work, and entire families falling ill simultaneously, with professional, personal, and social consequences.

Doctors emphasise that children are typically the main carriers of the virus, contracting it at nurseries, kindergartens, or schools and subsequently spreading it within the family. "When we vaccinate a child, we are not only protecting that child — we are protecting the entire family and slowing the spread of the virus in the community. And when we also vaccinate adults, elderly people, and patients with chronic conditions, we are collectively building a shield that keeps flu at bay," said Dr. Răzvan Miftode, Vice-President of the SNMF. Doctors recommend vaccination for children, pregnant women, elderly people, and patients with chronic illnesses.

Injectable or nasal vaccine

There are two types of flu vaccine. The injectable vaccine can be administered to babies over 6 months of age, adults, and elderly individuals. The nasal vaccine is recommended for children and adolescents aged between 2 and 18. The GP will recommend the appropriate option based on the patient's age and health status.

According to the SNMF, in the 2025–2026 season, just over 1.3 million Romanians received the flu vaccine, representing 6.9% of the population — nearly ten times fewer than the 75% target recommended by the World Health Organisation for population-level protection.

Doctors recommend receiving the vaccine every year, as the flu strains in circulation differ from one season to the next, and vaccine compositions are updated to provide protection against them.