Bulgaria begins nasal flu vaccinations amid injectable vaccine delays

influenza vaccine shortage nasal vaccine for children H3N2 strain immunization campaign public health

Bulgaria has launched its seasonal immunization campaign, starting with nasal influenza vaccines for children. Health Minister Katya Ivkova confirmed that sufficient quantities of the nasal vaccine are available for distribution to regional health inspectorates.

However, there are significant delays regarding injectable influenza vaccines. Production issues affecting the H3N2 strain—which proved difficult to cultivate—have impacted the entire Northern Hemisphere, including countries like Germany and France. Consequently, injectable doses for the general public and the national program for those over 65 are expected to arrive by late October or potentially as late as January.

Experts from the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases noted that while the first virus cases have been detected, there is no cause for panic. They emphasized that previous vaccinations provide a baseline of protection and that even if vaccines arrive later in the season, they remain effective if administered before the typical peak in late January or February. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccinations targeting the XFG variant are also underway.

Entities

Association of Pharmacy Owners · Bulgaria · Iva Hristova · Katya Ivkova · Ministry of Health · National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases · National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases · Nikolay Kostov · Todor Kantardzhiev

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Bulgaria has ordered approximately 180,000 influenza vaccine doses for the pharmacy network. www.actualno.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Technical difficulties in cultivating the H3N2 influenza A strain have caused production delays. www.actualno.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The influenza vaccine shortage affects multiple European countries, not just Bulgaria. www.actualno.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Previous infection or vaccination provides a baseline level of immunity against current circulating strains. trafficnews.bg · www.vesti.bg
[● 2 SOURCES] It takes two weeks after vaccination to develop full immunity. trafficnews.bg · www.vesti.bg