site.btaHealthcare Authorities, Experts Comment on Flu, COVID-19 Situation in Bulgaria

The flu strains expected to infect the population this year are Victoria, Wisconsin and Darwin, said Chief Health Inspector Angel Kunchev at a BTA press conference on Thursday. Kunchev warned that COVID-19 continues to circulate, although its spread is decreasing.

Kunchev also said that he is more concerned about highly pathogenic avian influenza, although it is not spreading to humans. He explained that more than one million birds have incinerated in the country so far. There have been over 500 cases of infected people worldwide who were directly involved in poultry farming, but for now it is assumed that the virus is not transmitted from person to person, he added. However, if the spread of the virus continues and it acquires new characteristics, it may become problematic for the human population as well.

At the moment, the viruses circulating in Bulgaria cause quite severe enterocolitis manifestations, said Kunchev. Cases of influenza are now few, while they are expected to reach epidemic levels in January.

“We are at the tail end of Europe in terms of prophylaxis and prevention with vaccines,” said Dr. Gergana Nikolova, member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Medical Association. She urged people to get vaccinated against the flu, provided they do not have a fever above 38.5 degrees.

In Bulgaria, around 260,000 doses of the flu vaccine have been administered to people aged 65 and over, for whom the vaccination is free, as they are within the framework of the National Programme for Vaccination against Seasonal Influenza and Pneumococcal Infections in Persons Aged 65+ (2023–2026), pointed out Dr. Valeri Tsekov, head of the Bulgarian Society for Innovative Medicine. In total, about 300,000 doses are provided under the programme. Another 150,000 doses are available on the free pharmacy market in the country, added Dr. Tsekov, noting that about 9% of Bulgarians are vaccinated against influenza, which shows that the vaccination coverage is low.

The wave of COVID-19 is decreasing, but the cases of acute respiratory diseases are increasing, said Prof. Iva Hristova, Director of the National Centre for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases. The incidence of the coronavirus infection in the regions of Pernik, Ruse and Sliven is above the average level for the country, she also said.