Bulgarian Politicians' Populist Rhetoric Hinders Vaccination Rollout

Politicians are extremely timid to support vaccines so as not to lose voters who are against immuno prophylaxis, lawyer Maria Sharkova, a medical law specialist, told BNR. "This is an extremely unpleasant problem, because the election cascade has put us in a situation where politicians say convenient things to attract voters, without caring that this rhetoric has a serious impact on public health," the expert added.

 Anyone who is not vaccinated contributes to the difficulty of accessing medical care in overcrowded hospitals in a pandemic, Sharkova stressed./BNR