Bulgaria’s Health Minister: We Cannot Make Plans for Further Vaccination Before Vaccines Are Provided

“We shouldn’t count chickens before they are hatched,” Health Minister Kostadin Angelov told journalists in Varna, where he is on a visit today admitting of the chaos in the vaccination campaign.

"I can't take any commitments because the result does not depend on us," he said.

It is not clear when the so-called "green corridors" for coronavirus vaccination will be available again for willing patients, after it emerged that AstraZeneca has significantly reduced and delayed its supply of the vaccines.

Now, instead of over 142,000 doses promised by the end of February, 53,000 will come, and it is not known exactly within what timeframe.

Angelov again lashed out at the producers, defining their actions as "corporate reaction", although he expressed his concerns that a media campaign would be launched against him for his words.

We have a Plan B and it involves additional quantities of one million doses of Pfizer and about half a million of Moderna vaccines. Prof. Angelov was adamant that of all types of vaccines Bulgaria ordered doses for 3 million citizens and, in addition, everyone who received a first shot will receive a second one.

As soon as we have enough vaccines, mass vaccination will be resumed immediately, he assured.

When asked if we could import the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, Kostadin Angelov explained that at the level of the European Medicines Agency the documentation is still being examined.

Bulgaria is part of the EU and is still awaiting the decision of European experts. Only after that comes the EC decision on a marketing authorisation. "When this happens, we are ready to order additional doses from Russia," Angelov replied.

In his words, in Kyustendil, Shumen and Sofia there is mounting pressure on the medical institutions, but if we maintain the rate of immunization "within a month or a month and a half we will have full control over the epidemic". "Let people, instead of waiting for a lockdown, wear their masks, disinfect their hands and avoid crowding," he urged.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!