Bulgarian GPs Working with Pfizer Vaccine Report Problems

"There is huge interest in vaccination. People come every day who want to be entered on the list", said in the studio of "Hello, Bulgaria" on Nova TV general practitioner Dr. Gergana Nikolova.

"However, if you are working with this Pfizer vaccine, which is currently administered, it is explicitly stated that a patient should stay in doctor‘s office for 15 minutes after vaccination waiting for a possible allergic reaction.

This can not happen in the GP's office, for the simple reason that the open vial with 5 doses should be consumed within one hour", explained Dr. Nikolova. 'In addition, each patient must be examined, informed and sign a declaration of informed consent before the vaccine is administered,“ she explained.

According to Dr. Nikolova, the whole procedure will take up to half an hour. "In practice, maybe we need to work with some other vaccine that does not require such storage conditions."

 "I've been vaccinated, I'm waiting for the second jab on the 19 January. We have appointment cards where vaccination date and the serial number of the vaccine are noted," Dr. Nikolova said.

She commented on the vaccination scandal in Sandanski. According to her, the question is why the reserved positions on the vaccination list there were occupied by municipal councillors, not healthcare workers.

"I think it‘s a question of morals. Politicians, such as these municipal councilors, should first and foremost respect morality," Dr. Nikolova was adamant.

She stressed that in Sofia the arrangements made by the Regional Health Inspectorate are much better and there is no way to enter people who are not medical professionals on the list.

 "Thanks to Dr. Penchev, who organized it this way," Dr. Nikolova said.

In her words, GPs will be inoculated during the fourth phase of vaccination program, when vaccination of the chronically ill will begin.

With regard to possible allergic reactions, Dr. Nikolova pointed out that there is an "acute shortage" of emergency physicians in the health system in Bulgaria.

 "Of course, there shouldn't be a resuscitator in every GP’s office. Now we administer vaccines that can cause an allergic reaction. There should be adrenaline in every GP's office.'

  "We will take the vaccine, carry it to the offices, store it in our refrigerators. The question is how things will be organized purely technologically, timewise. However, this process should in no way interfere with the rest of the work", explained Dr. Nikolova.

The specialist said that bedridden patients should not be vaccinated at home because of the risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction. 

"For safety reasons, this thing should be done in a hospital," Dr. Nikolova stressed.

She specified that patients with severe allergies and autoimmune diseases should not be vaccinated for now.

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