They provide free immunization to pregnant women against whooping cough

Briefing in the Council of Ministers

The Ministry of Health will provide free vaccines vs whooping cough to all pregnant women from 27 to 36 weeks of gestation. This was announced at a briefing in the Council of Ministers by the Minister of Health, Dr Galya Kondeva.

“Registered cases of whooping cough in the country there are over 500, compared to 4 in the same period last year. This clearly shows the tendency for an epidemic spread of a disease. Over 90% of cases are children. the risk group of complications and hospitalization are children under 1 year. 84% of them are not immunized due to underage or other reasons. Taking into account this and the already received opinion of the National Council on Immunizations and the opinion received from the expert council, I am taking the following actions:

Immunization calendar update: the main schedule is allowed immunization against diphtheria and whooping cough to start earlier than 6 weeks.

“The Ministry of Health will provide all pregnant women from 27 to 36 weeks of gestation who wish to be immunized free of charge, regardless of whether they have health insurance or not”Kondeva said.

Immunizations will be carried out free of charge at designated immunization points, explained health inspector Assoc. Angel Kunchev.

“We are also working on the provision of diagnostics, much more broadly. To the four centers in Varna, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Pleven, we will also add Burgas, as there is an opportunity there. Free PCR diagnostics will be carried out in these places according to criteria on the first case, severe cases, cases in organized groups, etc. This will lead to a reduction of the risk. And in Europe, 80% of the sick are unimmunized, or with missed immunizations or not at allvaccineswounds” Prof. Kunchev stressed.