At a working cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov and Chief State Health Inspector Assoc.Prof. Angel Kunchev presented the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19, which is due to be approved at a sitting of the Council of Ministers tomorrow. It will also be approved by the National Vaccination Staff.

The Health Minister also informed that work on logistics is continuing with the provision of refrigerators for the first supplies of vaccines requiring storage at low temperatures. Angelov added that the plan for immunization against coronavirus was worked out on the basis of the experience amassed in Germany and instructions of authoritative international institutions such as WHO.

"The plan is actually ready by the moment, we are ready to launch it tomorrow if the vaccines arrive," told the Premier Prof. Dr. Krassimir Gigov, President of the National Vaccination Staff. He added that the Staff will copmrise leading specialists and representatives of the relevant ministries.

"The groups from which vaccination will begin are also determined – the first are doctors, nurses, paramedics, employees of the Interior Ministry, who are also on the frontline, followed by people over the age of 70," added Prof. Gigov, and stressed that the plan will describe in detail all parameters of the immunization program.

"Prime Minister Borissov noted that as soon as the first vaccine doses come, the state will be ready to vaccinate any Bulgarian who wants to be vaccinated voluntarily and completely free of charge. This also ensures synchronisation of the joint work of the National Operational Staff and the Vaccination Staff.

"All Member States together invested in the creation of seven vaccines. They will come at different time, and each of them is unique. This is good, because when they are delivered to Bulgaria the Bulgarian citizens will be adequately informed which vaccine they would prefer,", Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said. It is currently being discussed at expert level if Bulgaria will order the delivery of the eighth vaccine, which will be on the market at the end of 2021.

In order to ensure strict vaccination organization, the country will be divided into 7 regions. "They will have Regional Health Inspectorates in charge, which are responsible for the respective region with clearly written logistical links between the respective regional health inspectorates in this region", noted Health Minister Kostadin Angelov. He added that mobile teams are also formed, which will reach the places where necessary, to vaccinate large groups of Bulgarians, such as in nursing homes and schools.

The government has also provided over 17,000 additional packages of free Remdesivir worth nearly BGN 15 million. "Thus, every doctor who prescribes Remedesivir will be sure that his patient will be able to get as many vials as needed," Borisov said. He noted how important for the battle with COVID-19 was the yesterday’s supply of over 300,000 doses of low molecular Heparin, which guarantees successful therapy for the infected.