Flu Cases Rising across the Country, with Several Regions Already Reaching Epidemic Levels

The flu epidemic has begun slightly earlier than usual, which means its peak is likely to be reached by the end of this month, followed by a period of relative stabilisation. That was stated by Bulgaria’s Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc Prof Angel Kunchev, speaking on the programme 'The Day Begins' on BNT on January 16.

“Bulgaria does not enter an epidemic situation all at once. Next week, when new regions begin to declare a flu epidemic, normalisation will start in Varna as well. We have given full freedom to our colleagues at the Regional Health Inspectorates to take decisions and to make recommendations to the education authorities on how the learning process should be organised,” he said.

He said the vaccines are working and have done their job. He explained that herd immunity is achieved when more than 70–75% of the population is vaccinated. With regard to influenza, we do not aim for such a percentage, he added.

Rather, the priority should be for people over the age of 65 to be vaccinated, in order to prevent severe illness and complications following flu.

Assoc Prof Kunchev also stressed that only antiviral medicines act directly on the virus. They should not be regarded as a substitute for vaccines and must be used only when there is a real medical need for them.

“They prevent the virus from entering the cell and multiplying. They have an effect precisely on this process,” Assoc Prof Angel Kunchev said, referring to antiviral medicines.

He added that it is almost impossible to contract influenza a second time within the same season.

“The strain that causes the epidemic is usually dominant. It becomes monopolistic, occupying the entire space, and only towards the end of the epidemic, in February, do other strains begin to appear,” Kunchev explained.

Speaking about chikungunya fever, he said that health authorities were closely monitoring the situation because “it is breaking through in Europe”.

“It is an imported disease. A tropical fever. It is not very severe, and in 90% of cases it is overcome,” he said.

He advised people travelling to distant southern and tropical destinations to bear in mind that every insect bite carries a potential risk. There is no vaccine against chikungunya, Kunchev stressed.

Treatment is symptomatic, he added.