The new COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Bulgaria

80,640 doses of the new vaccine targetting Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant have already been delivered in Bulgaria. Their administration will start from 27 September, the Ministry of Health said on September 20.

New surge in COVID-19 cases - 143 in the past 24 hours

The vaccines are intended for people aged 12 and above and are available at the Regional Health Inspectorates across the country.

A supply of vaccines for children aged 6 months to 11 years is also scheduled to be made available to Regional Health Inspectorates early next week.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health has approved the recommendations of the National Expert Council on Immunization for vaccination against COVID-19 in the coming autumn-winter season.

The same is recommended for:

• Persons aged 60 years and older;
• Persons with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, etc.), regardless of age;
• Immunocompromised persons (e.g., persons with HIV, transplant recipients, etc.), including immunocompromised children 6 months of age and older;
• Pregnant women;
• Medical personnel;
• Residents and staff of social institutions.

Any other person willing to be vaccinated who does not fall into the above groups may also receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine is indicated for persons 6 months of age and older, regardless of whether they have been previously vaccinated or have had the disease. It is administered in a single dose, with the exception of children under 5 years of age who, if not previously vaccinated or had not been ill and recovered from Covid-19, are immunised with three doses.

For persons in the above groups, the National Expert Panel also recommends administration of seasonal influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccine can be given at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine, with the two vaccines injected at different places. It is also possible to administer the vaccines separately, in two separate visits to the doctor, in which case there is no need to follow a specific sequence or fixed interval between the two vaccines.

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On September 1, the European Commission said that it authorised the Comirnaty XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine, developed by BioNTech-Pfizer.

This vaccine marks another important milestone in the fight against the disease. It is the third adaptation of this vaccine to respond to new COVID-19 variants, the EC press release said.

The vaccine is authorised for adults, children and infants above 6 months. In line with previous recommendations by EMA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), adults and children from 5 years of age who require vaccination should have a single dose, irrespective of their COVID-19 vaccination history.

The authorisation comes after a stringent evaluation by the European Medicines Agency, under the accelerated assessment mechanism. The Commission authorised this adapted vaccine under an expedited procedure to allow Member States to prepare in time for their autumn-winter vaccination campaigns, the EC press release said.

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