Native name | Национален план за ваксиниране срещу COVID-19 в Република България |
---|---|
Date | December 27, 2020 - |
Location | nationwide |
Cause | COVID-19 pandemic |
Organised by | Bulgarian Ministry of Health, National Vaccination Operational Headquarters |
Participants | 50,124 doses administered Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna (4 February 2021) [lower-alpha 1] |
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Bulgaria began on 27 December 2020, in line with most other countries in the EU. It is in response to the ongoing pandemic in Bulgaria. As of 11 January 2021, 13,473 people have been vaccinated. [2] [3]
After being one of the first countries in Europe to enter a lockdown, which came into effect on 13 March 2020, Bulgaria had mostly cluster-based transmission and a relatively low rate of infection compared to many other sovereign states on the continent up until mid June 2020 (when the vast majority of restrictions were lifted), [4] but was heavily hit during the autumn months, with the health system coming under severe strain. [5] The authorities' handling of the pandemic has been criticized for insufficient levels of testing for the virus, [6] the nature of the policies in relation to the quarantining of foreign arrivals and the lax enforcement, [7] [8] especially outside the capital city, [9] an absence of an adequate exit strategy after the first lockdown, [8] [10] resulting in rather loose general measures against the spread of the virus during the summer of 2020, [11] [12] limited preparedness of the country's health system for the second wave of the pandemic, [13] contradictory and inconsistent messaging [6] [14] as well as not following some of the recommendations of health experts [5] [10] due to concerns that the imposition of tight measures could pile on public pressure on the government, [6] which has been facing political protests since July 2020. Medical professionals and politicians have expressed the view that the second lockdown that entered into force just before midnight of 28 November 2020 should have come earlier. [15] [16] Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has been accused of prioritizing the interests of lobbies in the entertainment business and hospitality industries over those of health care establishments. [17]
In the early months of the pandemic, there was speculation that the BCG vaccine, [18] [19] of which the country is a major producer and which has been part of the mandatory vaccination package for newborns in Bulgaria since 1951, [18] offers some degree of protection against COVID-19, [19] with studies in the Netherlands suggesting that it serves as a powerful immune stimulator. [20] However, this has not been corroborated by most scientific sources [21] and the WHO maintains that there is so far a lack of evidence that the vaccine demonstrates effectiveness against COVID-19. [22]
Bulgaria eventually agreed to purchase all seven vaccines included in the European portfolio - Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford–AstraZeneca, Sanofi, CureVac, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson-Janssen, [23] even though it had some reservations regarding its participation in the contract with Janssen Pharmaceutica [24] and reportedly regarded the vaccine portfolio as overly diverse. [25] The country is mostly reliant on the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, expecting to receive enough doses for vaccinating 2.5 million citizens. [26] In total, the amount of all vaccines pre-ordered or set to be ordered by the country is expected to be equivalent to 18 million doses, enough for 9 million citizens. [27] [28]
According to Todor Kantardzhiev, one of the members of the National Operational Headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus, Bulgaria has not ruled out the purchase of other vaccines, such as Sputnik and Sinopharm, as long as EU regulations are observed [29] and especially if there is a delay regarding the delivery of the other vaccines. [30]
A COVID-19 vaccine based on nanoparticles is presently under development by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, [31] [32] with issues relating to funding expected to significantly slow down the progress when it comes to the vaccine trials. [33]
Kostadin Angelov, the Minister of Health, has on a number of occasions reiterated that Bulgarians should be able to have a choice regarding the type of vaccine they are to receive. [34]
Three vaccines are currently available for limited use in Bulgaria.
The first to be administered in the country was Pfizer–BioNTech, which was approved by the European Commission on 21 December 2020, on the same day after receiving recommendation for granting conditional marketing authorization by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), [35] with the initial doses delivered to Bulgaria 26 December. [36]
On 6 January 2021, following the same regulatory procedure, the Moderna vaccine was also given the green light by the European Commission, [37] arriving in Bulgaria a week later. [38]
On 29 January 2021, Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine received conditional authorization by the European Commission, paving the way for its use in EU countries. [39] On the same date, Bulgarian Minister of Health stated in an interview with Boyko Vasilev during the TV show Panorama that Bulgaria will wait for the results of further studies regarding its effectiveness when it comes to people over the age of 65 before administering it to members of this age group. [34] On 4 February 2021, Angelov clarified that there is no medical prohibition to give the vaccine to elderly people and that an additional statement will be made before Oxford-AstraZeneca begins to be administered. [40] The government eventually concluded that the vaccine is useful for elderly citizens as well and did not exclude them from receiving it. [41] [42] The first batch of this vaccine reached Bulgaria on 6 February 2021. [43]
Vaccine | Approval | Deployment |
---|---|---|
Pfizer–BioNTech | 21 December 2020 | 27 December 2020 |
Moderna | 6 January 2021 | 14 January 2021 |
Oxford-AstraZeneca | 29 January 2021 | 7 February 2021 |
The national vaccination plan was unveiled in early December 2020 and includes five phases. For the purpose of the vaccination campaign, the country was subdivided into six regions (Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv, and Sofia). [44] [45] Kostadin Angelov, the Health Minister, characterized it as a "dynamic plan" that could render itself to change in accordance with the situation and stated that Bulgaria drew on WHO guidance as well as the vaccination plans of Germany, France, Italy, England, and a number of US states, while also taking into account the specific conditions pertaining to Bulgarian health care, territory and infrastructure. [44] A National Vaccination Operational Headquarters, chaired by Krasimir Gigov, the general director of the Bulgarian Red Cross, was also established. [44] In January 2021, National Operational Headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus chairman Ventsislav Mutafchiyski specified that election commission members for the upcoming elections will also be considered priority groups for vaccinations. [46]
Order | Priority group | Number eligible (estimated) [44] |
---|---|---|
1 | medical personnel, pharmacists, dentists as well as members of staff in these fields who have assistant functions | 243 600 |
2 | staff and customers of social institutions, pedagogical specialists, people working on mink farms | 112 080 |
3 | people who are in charge of guaranteeing that activities essential for public life are able to take place | not specified, will be based on lists compiled in advance |
4 | all those 65 years of age and over, and clinically vulnerable individuals due to underlying conditions, including immunocompromised and with reduced immunity | 1.8 million |
5 | vulnerable groups from the population due to high epidemiological risk of infection attributable to their way of life | not specified, will be based on lists compiled in advance |
On 5 December 2020, the first two ultracold freezers suitable for the storage of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with the temperature requirements were installed at the Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in the capital. [47] On 7 December, Bourgas became the second city in the country equipped with such a refrigerator, [48] followed by Plovdiv on 9 December [49] and Varna on the 18th. [50] Each freezer can hold more than 100 000 vaccine doses. [51] The first vaccination site in the country was opened on 15 December 2020, being located in Sofia. [52]
On 5 January 2021, four mobile units were set up, so that elderly people living in care homes in Sofia could be vaccinated in their places of residence. [53] Over 40 such vaccination units are expected to cover the whole country. [52] [54]
Bulgaria was allocated 9750 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine (sufficient for more than 4000 people) for December 2020 and they arrived in the country on the 26th of the month. [36] Just over 60 000 doses of this vaccine were expected to be available in January 2021. [36] [55]
The first person to be vaccinated in Bulgaria was Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov, which occurred in the morning of 27 December in Sofia. [56] The second was Bulgarian Orthodox Church Bishop Tikhon, followed by a doctor and a nurse. [57] Over 1500 people, mostly medical personnel, had been vaccinated by the evening of 28 December. [58] By the late hours of 29 December, close to 3800 people had received a vaccine shot. [59] By the first day of the New Year, the number of vaccinated people had reached 4739. [60]
On 4 January 2021, the first batch of vaccines for this month arrived, numbering approximately 25 000 doses. [61] Unlike in the case of the first delivery of the vaccines, no specialized transport was needed for them, as they were received in boxes with dry ice, which could retain its properties for 5 days. [61] These vaccines were to cover the remaining front line medical personnel from the first phase as well as some social workers, social service users and educators (phase two priority groups). [62]
The first Moderna vaccine doses reached the country on 13 January 2021, numbering 2400 and designated for priority groups in Sofia. [63] Тhe vaccinations with Moderna commencеd on the next day, with obstetrician Sofia Yordanova being the first one to receive it. [38]
As of 13 January 2021, [lower-alpha 2] approximately 16 500 vaccine shots had been administered. [64]
As of 27 January 2021, Bulgaria had vaccinated less than 35 000 citizens, which corresponded to 0.47 per 100 people, putting it in last place on a per capita basis among EU countries. [65]
Between 27 January and 30 January 2021, some residents and staff of care homes for elderly people in Sofia received their injections, though a substantial number opted out. [66] [67]
As of 30 January 2021, 40 805 jabs had been administered, with 12 949 people receiving two doses. [68]
On 1 February 2021, educators and staff at kindergartens and schools began to be vaccinated. [69]
As of 4 February 2021, 94 920 vaccines had been delivered and 50 124 vaccine doses had been used, with 16 433 people having undergone the two-step vaccination process. [40]
On 6 February 2021, the first doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca, numbering 28 800, made their arrival in the country. [43] They began to be put to use on the next day, kickstarting Bulgaria's third phase of the vaccination campaign, which is to include members of the Central Electoral Commission and other people in charge of the procedural matters concerning the elections. [42] [70] One of the first to receive it was 76-year old Ilina Bineva, an employee at the pharmaceutical company BulBio. [42]
As of 4 January 2021, only 4 adverse reactions to the vaccines administered had been reported - they included headaches and muscle pain, with all of the recipients' symptoms quickly subsiding. [61] Todor Kantardzhiev, a member of the National Operational Headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus in Bulgaria, stated on 8 January that the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines are no different from those of the influenza vaccines. [71] According to experts, there is no need for a person who is asymptomatic to be tested for COVID-19 prior to getting the vaccine. [72] The mixing of different types of vaccines, especially when it comes to attempting to complete the second step of the vaccination process by using another vaccine, is not advisable. [73] A person who has been vaccinated is recommended to be kept for observation for 15-20 minutes in the rare case any potential side effects need to be managed. [9]
Vaccination is voluntary and free for all citizens. [74] The medical professionals administering vaccines will be paid 10 leva per injection by the state. [75] In late January 2021, citizens started signing up for vaccinations with their general practitioners, [76] with an online registration system expected to begin functioning by early March. [77]
According to experts, 60% vaccinated people plus those who have had the disease and recovered from it may be sufficient for herd immunity to kick in, [78] with mathematician Nikolay Vitanov estimating in late January 2021 that some 20% of Bulgarians may have encountered the virus in some form. [79]
Some of the vaccines that arrived Sofia on 26 December were subsequently transported to Plovdiv by using a Leki food industry minibus, and were then stored in a ZiL refrigerator on reaching their destination, which resulted in criticism and mockery on social media, but the Health Ministry cited examples of such reliance on the services of private companies not being an unusual practice in Western countries and maintained that all the proper guidelines had been observed. [80]
On 9 January 2021, the Ministry of Health revealed that it was conducting an urgent investigation after receiving information that councillors in Sandanski Municipality had already received vaccines despite not being part of the groups prioritized during the first phase, as stipulated by the vaccination plan. [81] The director of the hospital in Sandanski, Iliya Tonev, subsequently claimed that a number of the people who were to have priority in terms of vaccinations had ultimately decided against it, so appointments were set up with the councillors (who were among the volunteers in popularizing the vaccine) at a short notice in order for the doses not to go to waste. [82] However, after the review of the facts, the Minister of Health was adamant that the protocols had not been adhered to in vaccinating 24 of the people, as there had been sufficient time for a proper redistribution of the vaccines, claiming that if he had the authority, he would have released the hospital director from his duties. [64] [83]
The government has come under scrutiny for the delay in ordering a number of vaccines, [84] the lack of sufficient transparency regarding the quantities [85] as well as the reasons behind its decision to center its vaccination campaign on Oxford-AstraZeneca in particular. [86] [87] It has also been criticized for not outlining a plan for creating special vaccination centers and training additional personnel capable of administering vaccine shots, [88] contributing to a slow pace of vaccinations. [9] [29] Pulmonologist Kosta Kostov has been very critical of the way in which the vaccination campaign has been organized and implemented, also expressing incredulity that people over 65 and clinically vulnerable individuals are in phase 4 rather than being the top priority targets [89] and maintaining that people who have recovered from the disease should not be vaccinated as long as there is an insufficient quantity of vaccines. [90] Some media sources have taken issue with the government's manner of reporting the official figures regarding the number of individuals who have been vaccinated, believing that it invites confusion. [1]
According to an April 2020 Gallup survey, over 75% of the citizens expressed support for the lockdown-related pandemic control measures taken by the government and the members of the National Operational Headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus in Bulgaria, [91] but the subsequent loosening of restrictions and the exponential rise in cases in October and November caused public support for the authorities' strategy to plummet to slightly over 30%. [92] The lack of trust in the government and the health providers is believed likely to provide additional fuel for vaccine hesitancy attitudes, which have been characterized as prominent in Bulgarian society, [93] with one January 2021 Gallup poll seeing 46% of interviewees declaring that they will not take a COVID-19 vaccine. [94] Due to the vaccine skepticism and the proliferation of conspiracy theories in Bulgaria pertaining to the nature of the virus itself, [95] an information and explanation campaign pertaining to the vaccines and directed at the general public has been identified by some journalists as the real challenge with regard to vaccinating a sufficient number of people, so that herd immunity could be reached. [96]
Todor Nedelev is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for PFC Botev Plovdiv.
The 2013 Bulgarian protests against the first Borisov cabinet were civil demonstrations against high electricity and hot water bills resulting from monopolism in the sphere that began in Blagoevgrad on 28 January 2013, and subsequently spread to over 30 cities in Bulgaria that ended with the resignation of the Boyko Borisov government on 20 February 2013. They were caused by abnormally high electricity bills, but later turned into a mass non-partisan movement against the government and the political system. The events were marked by seven self-immolations, spontaneous demonstrations and a strong sentiment against political parties.
The 2013–2014 Bulgarian protests against the Oresharski cabinet was a series of demonstrations that were held in Bulgaria, mainly in the capital Sofia, against the left-wing coalition cabinet of Oresharski. The demonstrations started on 28 May 2013, but actual large-scale protests did not emerge until 14 June.
While the trigger factor for the demonstrations was the controversial appointment of Delyan Peevski as head of DANS in June 2013, the public discontent stemmed from a variety of causes, to a large extent connected to the general nature of the BSP-MRF governing coalition and perceived legitimacy issues surrounding political processes in Bulgaria. They ended in July 2014 with the resignation of the Oresharski government.
The 2014 Bulgarian Cup Final was the 74th final of the Bulgarian Cup. The match, contested by Botev Plovdiv and Ludogorets Razgrad, took place on 15 May 2014 at Lazur Stadium in Burgas. Ludogorets won the final 1–0, claiming their second ever Bulgarian Cup title.
Angel Chavdarov Dzhambazki is a Bulgarian politician and currently a member of the European Parliament. He is also the vice-chairman of the IMRO, having joined the nationalist party in 1997 and gradually progressed through its ranks.
Petar Stefanov Moskov, born 17 December 1970, is a Bulgarian politician and anesthesiologist, who was the Minister of Health of Bulgaria as part of the Second Borisov Government. He was also among the leading members of the Reformist Bloc.
Presidential elections were held in Bulgaria on 6 November 2016, alongside a referendum on changes to the electoral system and political party funding. The second round was held on 13 November 2016, resulting in the victory of Rumen Radev.
Svetoslav Kovachev is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ludogorets Razgrad.
Tonislav Yordanov is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Arda Kardzhali.
The 2019–20 First Professional Football League, also known as Efbet League for sponsorship reasons, was the 96th season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 71st since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid, and also the 4th season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. Ludogorets Razgrad were the defending champions after winning their 8th consecutive title in the previous season. On 21 June 2020 the team from Razgrad clinched its 9th championship with four games to spare after a 2:1 win home win over Beroe. The season began in July 2019 and was scheduled to end in May 2020, but was completed in July 2020.
The 2019–20 Second League was the 65th season of the Second League, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system, and the 4th season under this name and current league structure. The season began in July 2019 and ended in May 2020, but without playing all the scheduled games. The two promotion/relegation playoffs were held in July 2020.
Democratic Bulgaria (DB) is an electoral alliance in Bulgaria formed by three political parties – Yes, Bulgaria!, Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria and The Greens. The union was created on 12 April, 2018.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bulgaria when the country's first cases, a 27-year-old man from Pleven and a 75-year-old woman from Gabrovo, were confirmed on 8 March 2020. Neither of the two had traveled to areas with known coronavirus cases which is maybe because the PCR test that was used is deffective. The man tested positive for the virus after being hospitalized for a respiratory infection, and authorities announced plans to test several people who were in contact with the two individuals. Two other samples in Pleven and Gabrovo were positive on 8 March. Patient zero remains unknown.
Ventsislav Metodiev Mutafchiyski is a Bulgarian Military Doctor, Professor at Military Medical Academy (MMA), Major General from the Military Medical Service, Director of MMA and Head of the National Operational Headquarters for Fight with Coronavirus Pandemic in Bulgaria.
The 2020–21 First Professional Football League, also known as Efbet League for sponsorship reasons, is the 97th season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 72nd since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid, and also the 5th season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. Ludogorets Razgrad are the defending champions for the ninth consecutive time.
The 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests are a series of ongoing demonstrations that are being held in Bulgaria, mainly in the capital Sofia, as well as cities with a large Bulgarian diaspora, such as Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and London. The protest movement is the culmination of long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and state capture, particularly associated with prime minister Boyko Borisov's governments, in power since 2009.
The Confederation of Employers and Industrialists of Bulgaria (CEIB/KRIB) is a nationwide chamber of commerce dedicated to the furthering of the interests of employers and large businesses in the nation.