Earlier immunization of infants against pertussis. Vaccination is also being considered for pregnant women

Health authorities on Tuesday announced several measures to counter and mitigate the effects of the country’s growing cases of whooping cough. The officially registered cases in our country are already 314, but according to experts’ estimates, the real number of sick people is several thousand. Since about 60% of the sick have been vaccinated, their disease is relatively mild. The most at risk are small babies who do not yet have vaccines and developed immunity.

First immunization of babies at one and a half months

Therefore, at a meeting with Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, with the participation of Health Minister Galya Kondeva and Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Angel Kunchev, it was decided that the first immunization of babies should be done every month and a half instead of every two months, as provided for in the immunization calendar. The reason the authorities withdraw the first immunization of babies is that they have more frequent and severe complications. At the same time, according to the brief characteristics of the vaccine, it is permissible to administer it earlier.

According to the immunization calendar whooping cough vaccine is given at the second, third, fourth and sixteenth months of the child and there are reimmunizations at 6 and 12 years of age. In older children, the immunization is carried out in the year of reaching the corresponding age and it can also be considered to withdraw it a little earlier. Already at the beginning of April, the Ministry of Health sent instructions to doctors to review their patient lists for gaps in immunization and to make up for the gaps.

Immunization of pregnant women is discussed

Later, Minister Kondeva presented information about the measures taken before the parliamentary health committee. Kondeva announced that an opinion is expected from the National Expert Council on Immunizations regarding this whether a change in the immunization schedule is needed to cover pregnant women in the third trimester as well as adults. A review of practice from other countries shows that in 19 states there are routine immunizations for pregnant women and in 11 states for adults over 18 years of age. A decision is expected later Tuesday or Wednesday.

The health minister said that are provided and there are sufficient vaccines in stock to fulfill the national immunization calendar, as well as consumables for PCR diagnostics.

Shortage of vaccines in the free market

Kondeva reported that 650 doses of the Boostrix pertussis vaccine are currently available on the free market. The importing company has promised to import another 2,000 doses by the end of this weekwhich will be distributed in the pharmacy network from Monday. It is now clear that they cannot meet the increased demand at the moment. “We are working for quick access when additional quantities are needed, which is difficult because not only in our country there is an increased demand”Kondeva said.

The Ministry of Health does not see the need for mass testing

She indicated that testing for pertussis is performed only in certain patients according to certain criteria such as severity of symptoms, etc. The Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Angel Kunchev advises to be tested for whooping cough if there is a cough for more than a week or two, which is difficult to treat. During the meeting of the parliamentary health committee, the question was raised about the high prices of PCR diagnostics, which are a barrier to testing, but at this stage the authorities do not think that mass testing is necessary. However, the Health Commission decided that the state should allocate funds to increase access to publicly funded diagnostics.

Online training for individual classes

Kondeva also said that the Ministry of Health analyzes daily trends in the spread of the disease and is in constant contact with the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). Affected groups and classes are quarantined.

During the meeting with the prime minister before lunch, the organization in kindergartens and schools was also discussed, so that children with symptoms of whooping cough are not admitted. Authorities are calling on parents to be responsible as wellat the slightest doubt to stop their children from attending educational institutions and to seek medical help.
The Deputy Minister of Education Emilia Lazarova commented that the Ministry of Education and Culture collects information on the number of quarantined classes from the Regional Directorates of Education on a daily basis. The Ministry of Health is ready to respond to an increase in morbidity and if necessary, distance learning will be introduced in an electronic environment for individual classes.

The authorities expect the upcoming holidays to reduce the spread of the disease in educational institutions.

Prime Minister Glavchev has been assured that the State Matriculation Examinations and the National External Assessment will be conducted normally and no children will be harmed.

At the moment, the spread of whooping cough is most intense in Sofia and in the western part of the country, and in recent days, cases of the disease were found in the regions Pleven, Haskovo and Veliko Tarnovo. There are no registered cases of the disease in 11 districts.