Health Minister at news briefing: Bulgaria has expressed interest in three Covid-19 vaccines

Bulgaria has expressed interest in three of the first six vaccines to be registered with the European Medicines Agency. This was stated on November 12 by the Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov at the regular briefing on the spread of coronavirus in the country.

There will be enough vaccines for all vulnerable groups – frontline doctors, the elderly, the chronically ill.

The vaccine will not be included in the mandatory immunization calendar in our country and will be free-of-charge for all Bulgarian citizens, Angelov assured.

We expect the study on the reliability of the rapid antigen tests and the opinion on whether they can be an alternative to the PCR test to be completed by November 18, Angelov added.

"Do not stockpile on medicines, do not buy antibiotics unnecessarily and do not self-medicate. This will lead to severe consequences for the whole society," appealed the Minister of Health and assured that we have sufficient quantities of all necessary medicines.

"Azithromycin, any other antibiotic, does not cure coronavirus. It must be prescribed by a doctor. "Taking an antibiotic for no reason has serious consequences," the minister appealed. These drugs lower the immunity, and this can lead to inability of the body to battle with the infection.

The entire healthcare system is being reorganized, the Minister of Health confirmed at the beginning of the meeting. At the national level, the occupancy of beds for uncomplicated patients is 40%, and for intensive care - 23%, according to yesterday's data. The highest occupancy of beds with patients with COVID-19 is in Blagoevgrad, Gabrovo, Pernik, Razgrad, Targovishte and Shumen, the Minister of Health announced.

These figures are conditional and dynamic, because there is an absolute process of reorganization of the entire healthcare system, according to the plan we follow at stage 4 of the National Plan for dealing with coronavirus infection if there are more than 300 new cases per 100,000 peope," said Minister Angelov.

Official: New measures against the coronavirus come into force on 12 November

"The measures taken so far show that we are able to successfully deal with the control of coronavirus infection in the country. The philosophy of the measures is a limitation that would lead to a reduction in the incidence and effective control over the disease in the country, "Angelov added.

All schools with more than 15% of infected switch to e-learning environment. The district task forces against the coronavirus and municipalities can at local level upgrade these measures by having the opportunity to switch to distance learning in an electronic environment with a decision of the respective task force, with a proposal of the director of the Regional Health Inspectorate and by order of the Minister of Education.

The measure, which introduces special window for elderly people to shop only between 8.00 and 10.00 was taken after serious discussions, the minister assured. The situation will be monitored and, if necessary, the measures will be amended. In case of worsening weather, the "green corridor" for people aged 65 and over will be moved between 14.00 and 16.00

The total number of medical staff who tested positive for coronavirus is 3,459. There are 121 in hospitals, 9 of which are in intensive care units, the minister said. Since the start of the epidemic, 22 medical specialists have died.

Mortality shows the level of organization of the health system and, more precisely, the ability of the country’s health system to cope with the epidemic. The countries where the mortality rate is higher than in Bulgaria are the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and Croatia. The countries in which the mortality rate is close to that in thisr country are France and Spain, explained the Minister of Health.

The average morbidity in Bulgaria has reached 518 per 100,000 people. Bulgaria is currently in 14th place in terms of morbidity in Europe and 7th in terms of mortality. These indicators are proof that the system is working, said Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev, bulgaria’s chief State Health Inspector.

The pressure on medical institutions has decreased in recent days, which has allowed to redistribute the flow of patients, said Prof. Asen Baltov, director of Pirogov emergency hospital.

This trend was confirmed by the head of the Medical Emergency Service in Sofia, Dr. Georgi Gelev.

The coordination centre, which directed the ambulances to the hospitals which have unoccupied beds for patients with COVID-19, will be closed, announced Dr. Gelev. The reason is that after the mobile points were built in front of the hospitals, the people in need of medical aid went to the respective medical institution on their own. "The rerouting of the ambulances will be carried out by the Regional Coordination Office, which is located in the Medical Emergency Centre," he explained.