© Georgi Kozhukharov
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The feeling that you are protected (from the coronavirus) is spreading among a large unvaccinated population, which generally does not trust public institutions. Wearing masks, which is mandatory indoors, is not observed even by members of parliament.
The result is that, according to official statistics, only 2.3 million doses have been delivered out of a total of 5.4 million received under the European Commission’s buying program, forcing the government to sell or donate unnecessary doses abroad instead of letting them expire. . Otherwise, Bulgaria is not a virgin territory when it comes to immunizations, and vaccination is mandatory for children. But it is also proof that a political vacuum may be enough to cause a health catastrophe. “
This was written by the French newspaper Le Monde on Friday in an article entitled: “Bulgaria – the European red light of vaccination, renewed the restrictions”. Although it has one of the worst coronavirus mortality rates in Europe, the Bulgarian population is very skeptical of vaccines and believes it is protected against it, the publication adds.
It points to the internal contradictions of the “Bulgarian paradox” – very few vaccinated, and the state donates hundreds of thousands of doses to Norway, Bangladesh or northern Macedonia as it enters the fourth wave of the pandemic. As well as the Minister of Health does not accept the idea of mandatory vaccination of doctors or the introduction of a certificate of admission to certain places and events, as in France – “the two taboos on the Bulgarian political scene, dominated by overall skepticism about injections.”
Vessela Cherneva, director of the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, commented: “No politician has actually called for vaccination and there is virtually no campaign by the health ministry in this direction.” Maria Sharkova, a lawyer specializing in health legislation, added: “The refusal to vaccinate is widespread and all parties are afraid of losing voters in support of such a call. rhetoric and rejects “segregation” from the possible introduction of a health pass, she explained to Le Monde.
In addition to social networks and media long dominated by conspiracy theories and “fake news”, Vessela Cherneva points out something else: “Bulgarian television always shows” both sides “- one explains that COVID-19 is a deadly virus, and the other – that it’s just flu. How do you expect to send a public health message in such an environment? “
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