The Ministry of Health of Bulgaria approved the draft National Program for Vaccination of Ukrainian Citizens from COVID-19, which was granted temporary protection in the Republic of Bulgaria. The main objectives of the Program are, on the one hand, to protect the health of persons arriving from Ukraine through vaccination against COVID-19, and on the other – to protect public health from the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 epidemics in the country.
Vaccination against COVID-19 for citizens of Ukraine is free and voluntary. Vaccines will be administered by health workers in the immunization offices of regional health inspectorates or temporary immunization centers / general hospitals designated for this purpose. Implemented vaccinations will be entered in the documents in accordance with the procedure specified in the Decree № 15 of 2005 on vaccinations in the Republic of Bulgaria, and in the electronic register of vaccination against COVID-19.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, as of February 23 this year, 35% of Ukrainians have been vaccinated.
Vaccine prevention will reduce the risk of COVID-19, especially among those at risk of temporary protection, including the elderly, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and comorbidities, but also among the general population.
Data from the Unified Portal for Victims of War in Ukraine show that as of April 5, 2022, the number of people entering Bulgaria from Ukraine is almost 147,000, of which almost 66,000 remain in Bulgaria.
The costs of vaccination against COVID-19 are covered by the state budget of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The program will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval.