Health authorities start free vaccinations for pregnant women against whooping cough (Updated)

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

“The registered cases of whooping cough in the country are over 500, at 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 basic scheduled immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B infections is allowed to start earlier, from the 6th week and provision for all pregnant women from 27 to 36 weeks of gestation who wish to be immunized for free, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance.”

Earlier today, the Chief State Health Inspector, Inspector Assoc. Angel Kunchev, told Euronews Bulgaria that an emergency epidemic situation will not be introduced in the country due to the spread of whooping cough. Kunchev also pointed out that there is no need to introduce anti-epidemic measures.

500 cases of whooping cough have already been registered in the country. Quarantine will be introduced only in specific schools and kindergartens where there are patients, and online training will also be introduced.

Next week, the regulation will come into force, with which the first vaccination of babies is withdrawn by half a month and vaccines are provided for pregnant women who wish to be immunized.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health allowed the first immunization against whooping cough to be administered earlier, a month and a half after birth, and not as laid down in the Immunization Calendar – after the baby’s second month.