The first 150,000 doses of injected flu vaccine have arrived. GPs in the Burgas area want practices with extra doses to be able to pass them to colleagues who are short, said Dr Petko Zhelyazkov of the Burgas union of general practitioners.
Some doctors received more vaccine than they can use, while nearby practices do not have enough. Last week GPs wrote to the health minister, asking that practices with a surplus be allowed to hand doses to colleagues. For now that is not possible because of organisational problems.
The children's flu vaccine programme is in its first year. Parents can choose between an injection and a nasal spray.
"We expected more interest, but it did not come, especially for the injection. Most parents prefer the nasal spray," Dr Zhelyazkov said.
He said unused children's injections may be sent back to the companies and destroyed. Doctors therefore want the leftover doses used another way: either given to adults, or the programme changed to cover other groups of children. The health ministry replied that no changes are possible this year.
Flu vaccines will be in pharmacies this week and next. The body builds antibodies, which protect against the virus, about 2-3 weeks after the shot.
Only a few flu cases have been confirmed by test, but the number of people with acute respiratory illnesses, or common viral infections of the airways, is already rising. Flu is usually at its worst in late December and early January.