Bulgaria’s Health Minister: Rise in interest among medics, teachers in being vaccinated
Recent days have seen an increase in interest among people in the first and second phases of Bulgaria’s national vaccination plan against Covid-19 in getting the jab, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on March 26.
These phases include medical personnel, educators and support staff at health care facilities and schools.
Angelov said that those in these categories who initially had not declared that they wanted to be vaccinated now wanted to.
Immunisation of those falling into these target groups was almost over, but due to the increased interest, the quantities of vaccines available in the country are currently being applied as a priority to cover these people, he said.
The percentage of people in Bulgaria who wanted to be vaccinated had risen to about 63 per cent, he said.
“If people’s attitudes remain the same, by the end of the summer we can achieve collective immunity in the country,” Angelov said.
He said that in April, there would be many more doses of vaccines in Bulgaria, which would enable people to choose which one they received.
“People who have been vaccinated do not get ill. Some of those vaccinated have a mild clinical picture – runny nose, sore throat, but there is no danger to their lives and health,” he said.
Separately, Bulgarian National Radio reported that a “green corridor” for all comers who wanted to be vaccinated was opening at Tsaritsa Joanna Hospital, commonly known as ISUL, in central Sofia.
The “green corridor” hours were 2pm to 5pm on March 26 and 8.30am to 4.30pm on March 27 and 28, BNR said.
The vaccine is from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and no pre-registration is required, the report said.
The Health Ministry said on March 26 that 16 800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had arrived in Bulgaria today, and immediately were distributed to regional health inspectorates across the country.
The next delivery of Covid-19 vaccines was expected on March 29, a total of 31 590 doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, the ministry said.
(Photo via Angelov’s Facebook page)
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