site.btaHealth Ministry: Hepatitis Vaccine Imported from Turkey Is Safe

Health Ministry:  Hepatitis Vaccine Imported from Turkey Is Safe

Sofia, December 21 (BTA) - The Euvax vaccine against hepatitis, which is imported from Turkey, is safe and complies with global standards and requirements, but is not part of the mandatory immunization schedules and will not be administered to Bulgarian citizens, said the Health Ministry on Monday in a press release.

The press release comes in response to statements made on Saturday on bTV by Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Mihail Mikov, according to which the vaccines contain high levels of mercury.

The statement that the vaccine contains mercury levels which are dangerous for people is not true and is based on wrong information, which was presented purposefully, the press release reads.

All vaccines, including the ones that are part of the mandatory immunizations schedule for Bulgarian children and the ones imported from Turkey, have the same contents and the same holders of permits, as the vaccines that were administered in the past few years in Bulgaria, and they all comply with EU's and World Health Organization' quality and safety requirements.

After Mikov's latest statements, it became completely clear that this attack is political from its very beginning and serves party goals, the press release says.

Two months ago, the Health Ministry had to deny similar allegations about vaccines donated from Turkey. Health Minister Peter Moskov said at the end of October that his Ministry will alert the prosecuting magistracy about a "dangerous" campaign regarding the quality of vaccines. "This is an attack against the Health Ministry and against national security, because such campaigns give rise to doubts about the quality of vaccines for children and whether children immunization should be done at all," Moskov said, adding that he was deeply contemptuous of the people who are behind that campaign.

Rumours had been circulated by the media back then that the hepatitis B vaccine contains mercury. There was also information that the vaccine contained another vaccine against pertussis, also known as the whooping cough.