Bulgaria’s Health Minister: So far about half of front-line medics want Covid-19 vaccination
So far, about 47 per cent of Bulgaria’s medical personnel in the front line against Covid-19 have said that they want to be vaccinated, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told the parliamentary portfolio committee on December 10, according to Bulgarian National Radio.
Angelov said that the national vaccination headquarters had held several meetings, at which the vaccination plan was developed.
Apart from those front-line medical staff so far who have said they want to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the needs of the regional health inspectorates would have to be analysed so that a plan could be made, he said.
He said that the first shipment of vaccines was expected early in 2021 and Bulgaria was ready to receive it.
The vaccine will be stored in freezers at minus 75 degrees Celsius. After being removed from the freezer, it has a shelf life of five days at temperatures of two to five degrees.
Also on December 10, Major-General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski, head of the national operational HQ against Covid-19 and head of the Military Medical Academy, became Bulgaria’s latest high-profile public figure to say that he would be vaccinated.
“I urge my colleagues to inform themselves from scientific sources, so that they will be at the level expected of them, to be useful to their patients and to give the correct advice,” Mutafchiyski said in a post on Facebook.
On December 9, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, in comments broadcast on Facebook, said that as soon as it was his turn, he would be vaccinated.
On December 7, Professor Todor Kantardzhiev, head of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and a member of Bulgaria’s national operational headquarters against Covid-19, said that he would be vaccinated against Covid-19, to set a good example.
In a separate interview, Bulgaria’s Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev said that he intended getting vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as this was possible.
In contrast, head of state President Roumen Radev said that if he decided to get vaccinated, he would wait until all vulnerable groups – the elderly, medical personnel, teachers, police, pharmacists, social workers, commerce and transport employees – had a chance to be vaccinated.
The Sofia Globe’s coverage of the Covid-19 situation in Bulgaria is supported by the Embassies of Switzerland and Finland.
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