Bulgaria has spent 345M leva on vaccines against Covid-19
Bulgaria has paid 345 million leva for vaccines against Covid-19, caretaker Health Minister Assen Medzhidiev told the National Assembly during Question Time on May 10.
As of May 3 2023, a total of over 14 470 000 vaccines against Covid-19 had been delivered to Bulgaria, but only 4 612 000 doses had been administered so far, Medzhidiev said.
Bulgaria has donated close to 3.6 million doses of vaccines and destroyed 1 430 000 doses worth a total of 33 million leva.
A further 369 781 doses, worth more than 11 million leva, would be destroyed, he said.
“I strongly hope that during the negotiations, which are being conducted at the moment, the quantities of the upcoming deliveries will be reduced by half,” Medzhidiev said.
“Our country does not need new quantities, but according to the current agreement with Pfizer, we need to receive more than 8 346 000 doses.”
He said that Bulgaria was insisting that the European Commission, which was conducting the negotiations with the company of behalf of the EU member states, renegotiate the terms according to the needs of the EU countries, which in the case of Bulgaria were “zero,” Medzhidiev said.
“At the moment, thanks to our position, there is a slight retreat on the part of Pfizer, which can go for this year of saving 50 per cent of these quantities, which will save a huge financial amount of the state, as categorically to have very few doses left – a fifth of those I mentioned above, to be rescheduled for payments in one long period, we are continuing the negotiation process.
“We will give a mandate to the European Commission only for this and on the condition that contractual relations with Pfizer and the purchase of subsequent doses of vaccines are categorically terminated for the following years,” Medzhidiev said.
(Photo: Health Ministry)
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