site.btaExperts Discuss Slow Progress of Vaccination in Bulgaria
SC 18:40:31 15-09-2021
KK1843.127
127 COVID-19 - VACCINES - EXPERTS - DISCUSSION
Experts Discuss
Slow Progress of Vaccination
in Bulgaria
Sofia, September 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria has lost the equivalent of a small town's population to the pandemic and while there are vaccines, they are not being used, Prof. Hristo Hinkov, who heads the National Centre for Public Health and Analyses, said during a discussion with experts from the Public Vaccinations Board under the Health Ministry. He also said that public health has been neglected for years now, the Health Ministry reported here on Wednesday.
Deputy Health Minister Toma Tomov said that vaccines are the only way to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussion focused on the attitude of the vaccine hesitant people and the anti-vax community in Bulgaria, and how to regain their trust.
Tomov noted that Bulgaria has sufficient quantities of vaccines, but is among the worst performing EU members in terms of vaccinations and ranks first in terms of mortality.
According to political scientist Slavi Vassilev, the anti-vaxxer attitudes are due, among other things, to mistrust in the Bulgarian institutions which has built up over the past 30 years. Trust is difficult to gain and easy to lose, said Prof. Sava Djonev of the Association of Psychologists in Bulgaria.
According to Aleksandar Marinov, who chairs the Strategic Council under the President, the institutions must be unanimous and it should be made clear that vaccinated people are better protected than unvaccinated ones. MY/LN
/КК/
KK1843.127
127 COVID-19 - VACCINES - EXPERTS - DISCUSSION
Experts Discuss
Slow Progress of Vaccination
in Bulgaria
Sofia, September 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria has lost the equivalent of a small town's population to the pandemic and while there are vaccines, they are not being used, Prof. Hristo Hinkov, who heads the National Centre for Public Health and Analyses, said during a discussion with experts from the Public Vaccinations Board under the Health Ministry. He also said that public health has been neglected for years now, the Health Ministry reported here on Wednesday.
Deputy Health Minister Toma Tomov said that vaccines are the only way to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussion focused on the attitude of the vaccine hesitant people and the anti-vax community in Bulgaria, and how to regain their trust.
Tomov noted that Bulgaria has sufficient quantities of vaccines, but is among the worst performing EU members in terms of vaccinations and ranks first in terms of mortality.
According to political scientist Slavi Vassilev, the anti-vaxxer attitudes are due, among other things, to mistrust in the Bulgarian institutions which has built up over the past 30 years. Trust is difficult to gain and easy to lose, said Prof. Sava Djonev of the Association of Psychologists in Bulgaria.
According to Aleksandar Marinov, who chairs the Strategic Council under the President, the institutions must be unanimous and it should be made clear that vaccinated people are better protected than unvaccinated ones. MY/LN
/КК/
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