This year the influenza season started unusually early in Bulgaria – in the still warm and mild October. The A(H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu is circulating across the country, too, requiring special measures on the part of GPs and the entire public. “Family doctors need additional training to be able to diagnosticate the symptoms of the new flu and distinguish it from the other infectious diseases. Earlier immunization against seasonal flu is also recommended, so that the organism has enough time to produce antibodies. Strict personal hygiene and avoiding crowded indoor spaces are also highly important.” This is information Acad. Angel Galabov, director of the Microbiology Institute with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences voiced at a news conference in Sofia. He reminded that during last year’s flu season only 4% of the Bulgarians resorted to vaccines. At the same time about 30% of people in this country get infected by flu viruses every year; 95% of the infected get ill and 47% of the latter suffer secondary complications. What kind of people is the anti-flu vaccine especially important for?

“People with chronic diseases like diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, gland disorders, obesity suffering patients and people with transplantations, Galabov further said. In those cases the flu virus may lead to complications. The clinical picture of flu is different from most other respiratory infections. The symptoms are very typical, though. There are people whose immune system is strong enough not to allow the development of the package of symptoms. But the genetic prerequisite for that has not yet been studied well enough. For example with AIDS it has been established that 6-7% of the HIV-positive never get ill. No such statistics have been worked out in relation to flu.”

According to Acad. Galabov the vaccination before the flu season would help for less severe displays of the illness in case of the new pandemic virus of the swine flu. For the time being the number of cases registered in Bulgaria is 94. One patient died after complications. Dr. Galabov added however that the number of virus-positive to the A(H1N1) brand is only the top of the iceberg and voiced the concern that those infected could be several hundreds. In order to curb this virus, Galabov maintains, there should be an extensive vaccination campaign all over the world. On October 12 Bulgaria will stand in support of the EU initiative for all member-countries to make a public commission for the purchase of the vaccine in one and the same day. The joint commission would be made by the end of the year. At the end of this and the beginning of the next year there would be mass-vaccination days worldwide. At the beginning the vaccine against the pandemic swine flu would not be on sale at pharmacies and would be administered to those who need it most. Galabov added that the first to get the vaccine would be people in charge of young children, medics and people suffering from chronic diseases and patients with very low immunity. After that a broader vaccination campaign for the rest of the population could be undertaken. It would not be compulsory, however and the price of the vaccine would be within EUR 10.

English version: Iva Letnikova