Bulgaria will get 70,000 doses of flu vaccine in November for sale on the open market, the health ministry says. It gave the figure in reply to a question from the BTA news agency about delivery times and possible delays.

This follows our earlier report on children's flu shots, which started on October 5 with a nasal vaccine.

This is the first time Bulgaria has given children free flu shots. Under the national child flu vaccination programme for 2026-2030, which started in May, 135,138 doses are planned each year.

Children from 6 months to 7 years old can get the vaccine free, and children with chronic illnesses can get it free up to age 17. The programme covers up to 17% of children aged 6 months to 7 years, plus 10,000 children with chronic illnesses. A child only gets the vaccine if the parent agrees.

The nasal vaccine covers three flu strains — Missouri, Darwin and Tokyo, the maker says.

A flu virus for the 2026-2027 season has already been found. The National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases said on October 4 that it is A(H3N2).