Study on the Vaccination of the Population of Romania against Monkeypox in Terms of Medical Security.

Although it has been shown in numerous studies that immunization of the population by vaccination is the most effective way to protect against smallpox or other polioviruses, the anti-vaccination public rhetoric recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to influence the populations acceptance of vaccination against newly emerging viruses. This fact influenced our decision to study the vaccination of the Romanian population against the virus that causes monkeypox, aiming to identify the degree of compliance regarding the decision related to vaccination acceptance/non-acceptance/hesitation, based on the survey of a representative sample of respondents. The study is based on an online questionnaire completed between 1 July and 31 July 2022 by 820 individuals, aged 18 years or above, with a permanent residency in Romania. The study was undertaken in order to observe the attitudes of the respondents regarding the acceptance, refusal, or hesitation of vaccination against monkeypox. The sociological data resulting from the application of the questionnaire on 820 people highlighted that 97.16% were vaccinated with the vaccines of the national mandatory scheme and 53.32% were vaccinated with the optional vaccines (rotavirus vaccine, anti-hepatitis A, meningococcal vaccine, etc.). Although 47.13% of respondents considered monkeypox to be a real problem facing humanity today, only 26.37% of those surveyed expressed their fear of becoming infected, and 29.30% were willing to immunize themselves against the virus by vaccination. Only 19.59% of respondents believed that the monkeypox disease will generate a new global pandemic, while 31.86% considered pandemics to be a human security issue, and 30.28% expressed their desire to accept a reduction in some rights and freedoms, in the short term, for the adoption of institutional measures to combat a possible pandemic caused by monkeypox. The study clearly highlights the fact that monkeypox is perceived as a threat to the health of the population, with relatively low acceptance of conspiracy theories regarding its origins/manifestation/consequences among respondents (between 21.7% and 28.9%). The vaccination of the population against monkeypox is strongly influenced by the validity of the results obtained over time, in the vaccination campaigns against the smallpox virus (vaccine found in the mandatory vaccination scheme in Romania until 1979). We believe that the negative public rhetoric regarding the COVID-19 vaccination is likely to negatively influence monkeypox vaccination. Although specialized studies and practical results showed that the immunization of the population through vaccination represents an important vector in the prevention/management of pandemic-type issues, we believe that a national pro-vaccination campaign, based on scientific evidence, can lead the population to accept vaccination when the epidemiological context requires it. We also believe that a culture of health security needs to be developed among citizens to raise awareness of the role of vaccines as an important vector in the field of population health.

Parental COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy for Children in Romania: National Survey.

PURPOSE: Once vaccination against COVID-19 was also possible for children over 12 years of age, parents/legal guardians had to give their consent for their vaccination. It is a crucial moment, given the large number of infected people in Romania and the fact that these children are a source of transmission of the virus in the community. The refusal or hesitation of the parents/legal guardians, regarding the agreement for the vaccination of the children, determined us to focus on this subject, wishing, based on the questioning of as many parents as possible, to extract the reasons underlying these decisions. METHODS: This study is designed to observe the attitudes of parents/legal guardians regarding the refusal, hesitation, or acceptance of vaccination of children. The persons targeted to answer the questionnaire had to meet three conditions: to be at least 21 years old, to have a stable residence in Romania, and to be parents/legal guardians of at least one child under 18 years of age. The questionnaire was applied online to a number of 581 parents/legal guardians, being structured to obtain socio-demographic data and other categories of data that allow us to analyze their views on vaccinating children. RESULTS: Sociological data resulting from the application of the questionnaire on 581 parents/legal guardians show that 183 (31.5%) adults and 140 (24.1%) children got infected with COVID-19. The total number of respondents shows that only 411 (70.7%) adults and 185 (31.8%) children are vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: From the analysis of the data obtained through the questionnaire, following the application of the Kendall and Spearman statistical analysis tests, it is found that there is a strong link between participants' trust/distrust in "fake news" information and their decision to vaccinate their children.

STUDY ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF STUDENTS FROM "CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUȘI" UNIVERSITY OF TÂRGU JIU DURING THE FOURTH WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

AIM: THE STUDY REFLECTS THE WAY IN WHICH THE STUDENTS OF THE "CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI" UNIVERSITY OF TÂRGU JIU PERCEIVE THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BOTH REGARDING THE DECISIONS ADOPTED BY THE INSTITUTION'S MANAGEMENT REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING ACTIVITIES IN THE ONLINE VERSION AND REGARDING THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES. METHODS: THE STUDY TARGETED A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF STUDENTS FROM THE "CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI" UNIVERSITY OF TÂRGU JIU, BUILT ON THE BASIS OF A RANDOM STATISTICAL STEP OF 3, THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS BEING 674. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ADDRESSED TO THE RESPONDENTS INCLUDED A NUMBER OF 39 QUESTIONS, 26 OF WHICH ALLOWED US TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE, THROUGH THE WHOQOL-BREF INSTRUMENT OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY REVEAL THE HIGH DEGREE OF TRUST GIVEN BY THE RESPONDENTS TO THE TEACHING STAFF OF THE "CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI" UNIVERSITY OF TÂRGU JIU. ALTHOUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAD SERIOUS INFLUENCES ON STUDENTS' LIVES AND THEIR INCOME LEVELS, THE PARAMETERS THAT CHARACTERIZE STUDENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE, ASSESSED IN THE FOUR MAJOR AREAS: PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL, ARE HIGHER. ALTHOUGH THE DEGREE OF ACCEPTANCE OF COVID-19 VACCINES IS HIGH, WHICH CONFERS AN INCREASED DEGREE OF IMMUNITY AND A MINIMAL RISK OF CONTAMINATION WITH THE SARS-COV-2 VIRUS, STUDENTS PREFER THAT THE TEACHING ACTIVITIES CONTINUE IN THE ONLINE VERSION. CONCLUSIONS: THEREARE FAVORABLE PREMISES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE "CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI" UNIVERSITY OF TÂRGU JIU AT HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS, GIVEN THE HIGH DEGREE OF TRUST OF STUDENTS IN THE TEACHING STAFF, THEIR APPRECIATION OF THE TECHNICAL PLATFORM OF THE INSTITUTION PROVIDED STUDENTSAND THE HIGH LEVEL OF PARAMETERS THAT CHARACTERIZE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. WE RECOMMEND DEEPENING THE CAUSES FOR WHICH ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE RESPONDENTS THINK ABOUT THE CONTINUATION OF ONLINE TEACHING ACTIVITIES, ALTHOUGH THE OPINIONS OF SPECIALISTS REVEAL MULTIPLE SHORTCOMINGS THAT LED TO THE WIDENING OF THE EDUCATION DEFICIT OF YOUNG PEOPLE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IN THE FOURTH WAVE, IN GORJ COUNTY

PURPOSE: THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE DYNAMICS OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN GORJ COUNTY, BETWEEN 15.09.2021-01.12.2021, PERIOD CORRESPONDING TO THE FOURTH WAVE OF THE PANDEMIC, MANIFESTED AT NATIONAL LEVEL. THE STUDY FOCUSED, ON THE ONE HAND, ON REVEALING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PANDEMIC EVOLUTION IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF GORJ COUNTY, AND ON THE OTHER HAND ON HIGHLIGHTING THE DEGREE OF SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH HIGHER EDUCATION IN COMBATING THE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC, BY ACCEPTING / REJECTING VACCINATION AGAINST COVID-19. THIS LED TO CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE REASONS BEHIND THE HESITATION OR REFUSAL OF VACCINATION AGAINST THE SARS-COV-2 CORONAVIRUS. METHODS: THE STUDY WAS BUILT ON THE BASIS OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE OFFICIAL DATA AND A QUESTIONNAIRE APPLIED ONLINE TO PEOPLE WITH A MINIMUM AGE OF 21, GRADUATES OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND WITH PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN GORJ CO UNTY. RESULTS: THE STUDY SHOWS A LOWER ACCEPTANCE OF COVID-19 VACCINES, COMPARED TO THE MANDATORY AND OPTIONAL VACCINES FOUND IN THE NATIONAL VACCINATION SCHEDULE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE LOW LEVEL OF TRUST IN THE ROMANIAN MEDICAL SYSTEM COMPARED TO THE LEVEL OF TRUST IN DOCTORS. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT REVEALS HIGHER PERCENTAGES OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE COVID-19 VACCINATION OF PEOPLE FROM URBAN AREAS IN GORJ COUNTY AND THOSE WITH HIGHER EDUCATION. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY CONFIRMS THE INITIAL HYPOTHESIS REGARDING THE HIGHER DEGREE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF PEOPLE LIVING IN URBAN AREAS AND THOSE WHO HAVE GRADUATED HIGHER EDUCATION.

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING SOME INFLUENCES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE FIELD OF EDUCATION IN THE ROMANIAN SOCIETY

ROLE AND NECESSITY Discussions about education have been a concern of the media and opinion formers in recent decades (including the authors of this study3), being a matter more than natural if we start from the premise that education is the multitude of activities carried out at the societal and individual level for the formation of human personality, in accordance with the interests of society and its expectations of human involvement, depository of a consistent body of knowledge, in developing and imprinting an upward trajectory of society, as a natural desideratum of what evolution is as a whole. The realities of recent decades have shown that throughout the world, regardless of geographical position, level of economic development of states or type of government (democratic or authoritarian), sex or religion, citizens have understood the role and need for education as a whole for the evolution of the individual and society, being willing to invest in education, in learning, detaching themselves from customary practices that have not allowed for centuries, certain categories of the population, especially women, access to knowledge, especially since education must "prepare people for the kind of society that does not exist"5 so far. First of all, the dimension of science education, which requires innovative, critical thinking, capable of using the achievements of science to facilitate everyday life and acquire social responsibility, which allows the individual to know the world around him, knowing that science has been the basis of all technological processes that offered the possibility of knowledge in all fields of activity. [...]it must be argued that education contributes substantially to the individual's attainment of the 'status' of freedom, from multiple points of view (social, political, cultural or economic), in accordance with the horizon of expectation and its possibilities.