Varicella vaccination becomes mandatory from July this year. A regulation on immunizations in Bulgaria was published in today's "State Gazette". The vaccine is free.
Mandatory immunization against varicella is planned for those born after January 1, 2025, in a two-dose application scheme – the first dose at 12-15 months of age and re-immunization at four years of age. Children who develop varicella in the period after the first dose and for whom medical documentation or laboratory data are available are not subject to immunization with a second dose of the vaccine.
In November, the reasons for the changes to the regulation indicated that the National Expert Council on Immunization proposes the inclusion of a varicella monovaccine in the Immunization Calendar as a mandatory immunization and subsequent re-immunization. In children, the most common complications are severe varicella and skin lesions caused by secondary bacterial infection, while in adults, hematological complications and pneumonia are leading. In immunocompromised individuals suffering from varicella, hematological and gastrointestinal complications are more frequently registered, it is also stated in the reasons for regulatory changes.
The published regulation introduces the possibility of targeted immunization against respiratory syncytial virus in pregnant women whose pregnancy is between the 24th and 36th gestational week. Immunization is free and recommended. Targeted immunization is included in the regulation on the proposal of the National Expert Council on Immunizations, supported by the Expert Council on Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as by the chief coordinator of the Expert Council on Neonatology.