They are looking for whooping cough vaccines at jeepneys and pharmacies

After the alarming news about the spread of whooping cough in our country, what is the situation in Plovdiv and are there enough vaccines against the disease, the chairman of the Regional Pharmaceutical College Dimitria Staykova and the general practitioner Dr. Georgi Tsigarovski, chairman of the RK of BLS.

According to Master Pharmacist Stajkova, the panic is at idle at the moment. She recalled that no one can go to a pharmacy and buy the pertussis vaccine on their own, they must have a prescription.

“These vaccines are not traditionally found in pharmacies, as the pertussis vaccine is included in some policomponent vaccines, which are so far placed by the personal doctors, are provided by the Ministry of Health, they are free for those who are subject to immunization according to the national immunization calendar. We have not faced this problem before. At the moment the situation is as follows: They have appeared such vaccines. I must say that the vaccine is not only for whooping cough, it is three-component and includes two other diseases. Such vaccines appeared, some quantities at the wholesalers, these are the warehouses from which the pharmacies are filled. They are grossly insufficient and despite the inquiries of the pharmacies not reaching the pharmacies, they are refused. They are limited quantities, but people are more interested in being informed and asking if they have them and if they can buy them.“, explained Staykova and added that in these cases her colleagues send the patients to epidemiologists or personal physicians for consultations.

According to her, the vaccine is imported, it is safe and those patients who are advised to get such a vaccine should not worry

“There are several pharmacies in Plovdiv that have received from a wholesalerFr. Abirds, we will do everything possible to provide a vaccine when a patient comes to us with a prescription, or we will direct them to pharmacies that we know have received a quantity of vaccines.” emphasized Staykova.

She explained that pharmacies do not have PCR tests for whooping cough, and not all laboratories can test for the disease, and it also cannot be tested at a doctor’s office or with a pharmacy test.

Regarding the drugs, there are stocks of the main group of antibiotics that are used for the disease, Stajkova recalled and added that they are all issued with an electronic prescription.

“All ranks – doctors, pediatricians and pharmacists will deal with the pertussis situation”Stajkova is categorical.

For his part, Dr. Georgi Tsigarovski commented that until now he had not had a patient with whooping cough in his practice. He emphasized that there is more interest from the parents of the students. He is adamant that he will catch up with the immunizations.

“Parents of children at the age of 6, of children in the 6th grade at the age of 12, start calling and asking if the vaccine has been done and, accordingly, when it will be done. Due to covid and along with some anti-vaccine sentiments, some vaccines were delayed by parents” said the general practitioner.

According to him, general practitioners are ready to give the vaccine to newborns earlier, as early as 45 days after birth, in order to prevent the possible disease by creating immunity.

He reported that he had inquiries from pregnant women about the vaccine and hoped it would be available in pharmacies.

According to him, Bulgaria has always had quite high levels of vaccination, and during the covid epidemic the coverage has dropped, but many of the diseases have a cyclical nature and this is in a pan-European plan, so in this case we do not make an exception.

Dr. Tsigarovski added that the vaccine against whooping cough does not protect 100 percent, but the disease in those vaccinated is much milder and without severe complications.

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