Health Minister: Mass vaccination against Covid-19 will start in February or March

Speaking at an extraordinary briefing in connection with the arrival of the second batch of Covid-19 vaccines on January 4, Bulgaria’s Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Kostadin Angelov said that the vaccines will be given to frontline medical professionals.

An organization for the forwarding of vaccines to five points in the country is currently underway. They will be dispensed to the Regional Health Inspectorates in Sofia, Plovdiv, Bourgas, Veliko Turnovo and Varna. "Once the logistics at these points are completed, the distribution of vaccines in the other RHIs in the country will begin, in order to continue the vaccination of all frontline staff who are included in the first phase. These are the Bulgarian medics," the minister said.

After the completion of the first phase, which the health authorities expect to happen within a week or two, the second phase of vaccination will start immediately - for the senior citizens and for teachers.

The Ministry of Health plans to complete the second phase by the end of January. Mass vaccination will begin in February or March.

"Everything that is envisaged in the vaccination plan would take place as planned. Very soon, after the second vaccine comes, we will start the mass vaccination in the country. We expect permission for a third vaccine. I am optimistic. The number of those wishing to be vaccinated is increasing in all phases," the minister emphasized.

Vaccination in Bulgaria is free of charge and completely voluntary, reminded Minister Angelov. The ambition of the health authorities is to vaccinate about 70% of the population.

“There are enough vaccines for everyone," said the Minister of Health.

The Director of the Executive Agency for Medicines, Bogdan Kirilov said that 4 people reported side effects after the first vaccination of about 4,500 medics. It is a pain at the shot site, dizziness and a slight rise in temperature. All these side effects were overcome very quickly, he added.

The first 9,750 vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech arrived on December 26, and so far 4,739 people have been vaccinated.