Prof. Atanas Mangerov indicated which vaccines should become mandatory for children

The vaccines in the National Immunization Calendar are good enough, tested and safe and they should be done. Children who have vaccines are protected. This is what the specialist in infectious diseases and pediatrician Assoc. Atanas Mangarov said in the program "The Day of Focus". on Radio "Focus".

Not all vaccines are able to create immunity, he noted. So is the pertussis vaccine, which is acellular. "It keeps the vaccinated person from getting whooping cough, but it doesn't prevent him from getting the germs that cause whooping cough in his nose and throat and spreading them. When all children in a group are vaccinated, even if children with whooping cough are found in the group, the risk of them getting sick or getting seriously ill is small. Those who are not vaccinated and are in such a group, there is a danger of getting seriously ill", explained Assoc. Mangerov.

This also applies to other vaccines, for example the polio vaccine. "The vaccine currently used in our country is the killed vaccine. It creates immunity in the blood and practically does not give immunity to the mucous membranes. It is a very good vaccine and one who is vaccinated will never get polio, but he can spread the virus. Meningitis vaccines also do not create strong immunity on the mucous membranes," explained the specialist in infectious diseases.

The rule in epidemiology is that when the vaccine coverage or the percentage of people who have immunity, whether artificial or natural, falls below 70%, there is a danger of an epidemic occurring, said Prof. Atanas Mangerov.

People who refuse to immunize their children or themselves cannot in any way be required to do so, the specialist noted. "Attempts have been made to fine parents of children who are not vaccinated. The results have ended miserably in court and they are justified. Parents who send their children to crèches, nurseries and schools without being vaccinated must be ready to bear the risk of getting sick, he stressed.

According to him, when a child visits nursery, kindergarten and school, he should be vaccinated, because there he expands the circle of his contacts enormously and the risk of getting sick increases accordingly.

The problem, he says, is that there are many false contraindications for vaccination. "These false contraindications, for which the doctors themselves play a big role, especially personal ones, are in some cases absurd justifications,", he commented.

According to him, vaccines against hepatitis A, varicella and meningococcal infections should become mandatory.

According to him, the COVID pandemic has inflicted very severe damage on the practice of immunization. "The state took on the role of lawyer for the vaccine companies and was guided by WHO instructions, which were contrary to good medical practice. This should not be allowed. This is one of the reasons for the ebb and flow that there is now, and this resistance from people, because vaccines are a very sensitive subject. The role of the state is to protect its citizens. It is no coincidence that the free vaccines included in the National Immunization Calendar are not paid for by the Health Fund, but by the state, with few exceptions. The role of the state is to provide safe and effective vaccines," said Assoc. Mangerov.