Pregnant women in Bulgaria will be vaccinated against whooping cough for free

B pregnant women in our country will be vaccinated against whooping cough for free. This was announced by the health authorities at a briefing in the Council of Ministers.

“Immunization offices will be available in every regional center. If there is a need, we are ready to organize mobile offices,” announced the chief state health inspector Angel Kunchev.

The health authorities with the latest information on the spread of whooping cough in our country

“We strive to ensure maximum safety for the most at-risk group – children up to one year old. Especially those who have not reached the immunization age. This is done in two ways, as by lowering the immunization age by two weeks, which we cover 25% of them, both with the possibility of all willing pregnant women to be immunized at immunization points for free as a recommended immunization, so that they provide antibodies for their newborn children. the risk group,” Kunchev pointed out.

The health authorities have given information about the spread of whooping cough in our country

“Of course, we are also working on providing diagnostics. We have just discussed that we will probably add Burgas to the four centers in Varna, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Pleven, since there is an opportunity and the population is large enough. In these places, on the recommendation of Regional health inspections, free PCR diagnostics will be done according to criteria that we have already sent,” he added.

Kunchev: An emergency epidemic situation will not be introduced because of whooping cough

According to the state health inspector, these are the steps that will lead to a sharp reduction in risk, especially of severe course and complications.

“You can see that this high percentage is even higher than in Europe. More than 80% of those who are infected and cause the disease are unimmunized, or at a post-immunization age, or with missed immunizations for some reason,” said Angel. Kunchev.

How to treat whooping cough

According to him, the centers can start working on the first working days after the Easter holidays.

A recommendation for mass immunization in this situation is unlikely to be appropriate. According to the expert, every pregnant woman can have a consultation with the obstetrician-gynecologist who monitors the pregnancy, as well as with the general practitioner.

Prof. Kunchev announced whether there will be restrictive measures in case of a whooping cough epidemic

The promise of 2,000 doses will be fulfilled, he commented on the availability of pertussis vaccines.

Registered cases of whooping cough already exceed 500, Health Minister Galya Kondeva announced.

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