Bulgaria, Ukraine Turn to EU for Aid over Swine Flu

Society | November 5, 2009, Thursday

A man and a child wear a protective mask to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus as they walk in downtown Sofia. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria has approached the European Union with a request to provide it with anti-flu vaccines amids expectations that a national flu epidemic emergency may be declared in days.

“The European Commission has briefed the member states about Bulgaria's requests for more anti-flu vaccines,” Bulgarian Commissioner Meglena Kuneva announced on Thursday.

Kunvea recommended that the Bulgarian side starts looking for bilateral contacts so that the needed medical aid – 200,000 anti-virus vaccines - is provided as quickly as possible.

The mechanism to be used is applied at times of epidemics, fires and floods and pools the resources of all member states, which are only coordinated by the commission.

“We are not expecting money, we are expecting only vaccines and we are expecting them from all the member states,” Kuneva explained.

Bulgaria's Health Ministry has reported five swine flu deaths in the country.

Earlier in the week Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sent a letter to EC President Jose Manuel Barroso with a request to provide the country with humanitarian aid in connection with the flu epidemic.

There will be a response, Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen of the European Commission said Wednesday, commenting Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's letter to EC President Jose Manuel Barroso.

In her turn, Nina Papadoulaki, EC spokesperson for health, said the European Commission attentively follows flu developments in Ukraine, and intends to provide coordinated assistance together with the World Health Organization and EU member-countries.

Thus, Austria has already expressed preparedness to send to Ukraine about 500,000 safety masks and disinfection means. Hungary is planning to send 10,000 doses of anti-flu vaccine, and Slovakia has already sent 200,000 respirators.

Estonia, India and Israel also agreed to provide Kyiv with humanitarian aid. In its turn, Poland recently expressed preparedness to check the Ukrainians on the A/H1N1 virus for free.

Beside this, Warsaw urged Sweden, which is presiding the European Union, to call an emergency meeting of health ministers of EU's 27 member-countries for taking immediate measures to help Ukraine.