site.btaParliament Assigns Health Minister to Report on Vaccines Procurement on Six-Month Basis

Parliament Assigns Health Minister to Report on Vaccines Procurement on Six-Month Basis

Sofia, February 5 (BTA) - Bulgaria's National Assembly Friday unanimously resolved to assign the Minister of Health to report on the procurement of the vaccines necessary for the immunization calendar to the parliamentary Healthcare Committee twice a year, in January and July.

The resolution was passed after a debate following questions from MPs of BSP-Left Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) to Health Minister Peter Moskov concerning his obligations in relation to the implementation of the common mandatory immunizations policy.

Following a check, the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office (SAPO) has established that marketing authorizations for Bulgaria had not been granted to two vaccines imported from Turkey, Pentaxim and Euvax-B.

According to Moskov and the Bulgarian Drug Agency, however, the five-in-one vaccine Pentaxim meets all requirements, is safe for use, and is currently on the mandatory immunizations calendar.

"The Pentaxim imported in Bulgaria is French and was delivered from France to Turkey. The Pentaxim component was manufactured in France, and part of the product is additionally packaged in a Turkish plant, which is documented for compliance with good manufacturing practice," Moskov said.

"There is no Turkish vaccine, there is a French one whose packaging has been completed in a Turkish plant," he added and showed documents proving that it is identical to the one released by France.

The Euvax-B vaccine, for hepatitis B, will not be used for children and was offered by the Turkish side in connection with the refugee crisis. It is not part of the obligatory immunization calendar.

The Ministry of Health did not carry out the standard public procurement procedure because neither of the two companies that hold such marketing authorizations entered bids.

Moskov expressed support for the draft resolution assigning him to report to the Healthcare Committee on vaccines procurement on a six-month basis.