First Covid-19 vaccinations are expected on December 27

Pirogov Hospital is one of the medical institutions where vaccination against Covid-19 will start on December 27, head of the hospital Prof. Asen Baltov has told bTV. Pirogov already has a refrigerator that keeps temperature of -70 degrees, which is needed for the first expected vaccines. A 24-hour office for people with possible allergic reactions after vaccination will also be opened. The number of new cases of coronavirus and mortality in our country have not been decreasing at the expected rate after the introduction of new anti-epidemic measures, because there is hidden morbidity, Prof. Asen Baltov said. He added that many infected people avoid to be tested, which is why they are not quarantined together with their relatives.

First vaccines will be for medics only

The first 10,000 vaccines, which are expected to arrive on December 25 in Bulgaria, will be used for 5,000 health-care workers, Chief Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev has told BNT. "The second dose is also reserved for them," he said. Vaccinations will start on December 27 in Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas. In the first week of January we will receive 52, 000 doses of vaccines plus another 5 thousand by the end of the month. 90,000 new doses are planned for February and up to 300,000 doses from March onwards. The health inspector predicts a slight rise in the number of people infected with coronavirus during the holidays. He also said that there would be an increase after antigen tests started to be used alongside PCR tests. "This is not the worst thing as the question is to limit the number of people who transmit the infection," the specialist said.

New cases of coronavirus infection decline

1002 new cases of Covid-19 have been registered in the past 24 hours after 4213 PCR tests, according to data from the Single Coronavirus Information Portal. This means that 23.8% of those tested were carriers of the virus. The highest number of newly infected people is in Sofia - 174, in Varna - 126 and in Plovdiv - 89. a total of 55 people died and 1404 recovered. 6640 patients are in hospitals as 542 of them are in intensive care wards. 48 medics have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in the past 24 hours and the total number of infected medics has reached 8,422 since the beginning of the epidemic.

Tripled salaries for medics who move to provincial hospitals

The Ministry of Health and the National Association of Municipalities have been developing a plan to attract medics to municipalities that experience lack of medical teams. In addition to employment agreements, medics will be provided with municipal housing, Minister of Health Prof. Kostadin Angelov said. According to him, doctors and nurses in some municipalities will receive tripled salaries in order to ensure efficient health care throughout the country. The Minister of Health and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov made a check in Pazardzhik, where a dormitory for nurses will be repaired.

Strengthening cardiovascular system helps against coronavirus

Strengthening the circulatory system can reduce the risk of complications in patients affected by the coronavirus, Dr. Iva Mirchanova says, based on her experience. For some of her patients she uses medications to strengthen the circulatory system and this significantly reduces complications caused by the disease. "This infection affects mainly the small vessels of the blood system and causes blockages," Dr. Iva Mirchanova says. That's why she decided to give patients drugs that improve the condition of the inner layer of blood vessels.

Training center being renovated to become dormitory for a hundred nurses

The government has provided over 500,000 euros for the renovation of the former teachers' institute in Pazardzhik, which will provide health care training and accommodate about 100 nurses, the government's press service reported. During a visit to the city, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov insisted on the swift implementation of the project, given the need for medical personnel, especially during the coronavirus epidemic. He also pointed out that funds are allocated not only to large medical institutions, but also to hospitals in need throughout the country.

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Compiled by: Diana Tsankova