site.btaPrime Minister Calls for Green Corridor for All Willing to Be Vaccinated

February 19 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov urged that a green corridor be opened for all willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while people from the priority groups are hesitating. He also called for stepping up vaccination, so tht 10,000 people are inoculated every day instead of 4,500 on week days and fewer than 100 on weekends. He was talking at a working meeting with the Health Minister and the national coronavirus and vaccination task forces on Friday, the government information service said.

Borissov was adamant that all willing doctors must be inoculated. Meanwhile, all other people should be able to get a vaccine.

Bulgarian Drug Agency Executive Director Bogdan Kirilov said that 57,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to be delivered on Friday, which will be distributed to all 28 Regional Health Inspectorates around the country on Saturday morning. A further 180,000 doses of the three EU-approved vaccines are due to be delivered in the last week of February. Based on data from the manufacturers and the European Commission, Bulgaria should get at least 500,000 doses in March and could launch Phase Four of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, which is reserved for people over 65 and people with chronic co-morbidities

Kirilov also said the European Medicines Agency is working on the authorisation of the single-shot vaccine developed by Janssen-Cilag International, Johnson & Johnson's European subsidiary

Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev said the COVID-19 fatality rate had dropped, adding that "concerns that the British variant of the virus would be more deadly have not been confirmed so far".

Prof. Ventsislav Moutafchiiski, head of the national coronavirus task force, said that adequate care is provided to all patients, even those admitted in serious condition. NV/DD
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