Cases of whooping cough continue to rise markedly, Health Ministry figures show. The sick have already exceeded 450 people. Last week, confirmed cases were 205 since the beginning of the year.
Tomorrow it is expected that the specific measures that the state will take in the fight against the infection will become clear. Some of them are already being discussed – such as the lowering of the age for first immunization, the provision of funds for laboratory tests and the additional delivery of 2,000 vaccines to pharmacies.
In many areas, there are already pregnant women and elderly people willing to protect themselves and eagerly awaiting the delivery of the vaccines. Waiting for her fourth child, Elena traveled from Elhovo to Yambol to look for information about immunization and available vaccines.
„I will certainly take advantage, because this whooping cough keeps being commented on and I feel some fear”, Elena Manolcheva explains to BTV.
They have already bought the vaccines from the health inspection in Yambol – pregnant women and their relatives most often ask about this immunization.
„Yesterday came the first grandmother-to-be who said she was worried that she could infect her grandchild”, explained Dr. Radostina Kalcheva, director of RZI-Yambol.
Little Stephanie has all the vaccines, but her mother has limited contact with others. “After this business with whooping cough, I was very scared and I am looking for him to be at home. I would get vaccinated to protect her“, Mariela is emphatic.
Physician Dr. Miroslava Metodieva reported a jump in the number of patients in both children and adults. Some diagnose with a test, and others – by symptoms.
„These tests are not covered by the fund, the patient must pay for them. If they have the financial opportunity, people make them, if not – they don't do them“, explains Dr. Metodieva.
The ministry has allocated money for tests. So – without personal payment, people will be able to examine themselves. However, this will be done according to certain criteria. Among them – there is already registered pertussis in the patient's village, the children are under 5 years of age or those in which the infection is severe, as well as sick children in the event of an epidemic outbreak in a nursery, kindergarten or school.
„Samples from sick persons meeting the criteria can be taken from any district in the country, and then sent for research to RZI-Sofia and the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases”, says the opinion of MOH.
„This is an extreme limitation of research, which makes them unusable”, Dr. Metodieva commented, however.
In the laboratories, the prices of the tests vary between BGN 45 and BGN 100