A total of 43 cases of measles have been officially registered in Bulgaria to date, with the highly contagious infection now covering three regions of the country. The largest outbreak remains in the municipality of Byala Slatina with 37 patients, and the remaining cases are distributed in Pleven (2), Kozloduy (1), Lovech (1), Lukovit (1) and Yablanitsa (1).
To date, 21 samples from the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases have been laboratory confirmed, with the results of the rest awaited. Statistics from the health authorities show that children between the ages of 5 months and 15 years are most affected.
Among the infected are also two adult patients - a 25-year-old man from the municipality of Lovech and a 48-year-old woman from the municipality of Pleven. According to the Regional Health Inspectorate in Lovech, one of the cases in the region is a 9-month-old baby from Lukovit. The child is not immunized, as he has not yet reached the required age for the first dose according to the National Immunization Calendar.
All measles patients have been hospitalized in infectious diseases wards to limit the spread of the virus. In parallel, health authorities are conducting large-scale epidemiological studies to search for contact persons and check their immunization status. People without protection are immediately referred to their personal doctors.
The epidemic is breaking out against the backdrop of alarming data on a drastic decline in vaccinations in our country. According to preliminary health reports for last year, immunization coverage has fallen to its lowest levels in the last decade – only 89 percent in 13-month-old children and 82 percent in 12-year-olds.
The Ministry of Health once again appeals to parents to check their children's records and to immediately contact their GP if they have missed a vaccine. Timely immunization remains the only sure way to prevent severe disease. Official information about vaccines can be found on the specialized portal "Plus Men".