site.btaAdvisory Board on Vaccination to Replace National Coronavirus Task Force

Sofia, June 21 (BTA) - Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov Monday
told reporters that the national coronavirus task force has
fulfilled its tasks and will be replaced by an advisory board on
 vaccination with the Health Minister. It will concentrate on
vaccination in principle and will include public figures,
journalists and representatives of patients organizations,
rather than the administration. The purpose is to achieve
broader public involvement and to boost the vaccination process,
 Katsarov said.

The Security Council with the Council of Ministers decided to
set up the coronavirus task force on February 24, 2020. It was
chaired by Ventsislav Moutafchiiski, head of the Military
Medical Academy in Sofia.

The Health Minister added: "We are trying to use all information
 instruments to eliminate prejudice. We are meeting with WHO and
 UNICEF representatives on Monday, who are helping us with
models of a public health information campaign focused on
vaccination."

The Health Ministry is mulling a change in the entry
requirements based on the European Commission's criteria for
green, orange and red areas depending on the spread of the
coronavirus.

Katsarov also said information on all people in Bulgaria who
have encountered the virus could be available within a month. He
 met with more than 20 software companies last week to arrange
the collection of information on all vaccinations,
hospitalizations and PCR and antigen tests since March 1, 2020.
 "This will be helpful in crisis and risk assessment," he said.
A public procurement procedure worth between 10,000 and 15,000
leva will be announced.

The findings of a private medical laboratory on the spread of
the infection in Bulgaria were presented at the briefing. The
study, which is not nationally representative, found that 43 per
 cent of 2,665 randomly chosen samples contained coronavirus
antibodies. NV/DD