FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES (GALLERY)
“It seems that we live in a century of infectious diseases that is why such events are very important”, Momchil Baev, doctor of medicine, founder of “Astra Forum” Foundation said. He underlined that this year “Astra Forum” Foundation has implemented green policy in terms of the event, while trying to minimize the use of plastic bottles, cups and lates for single use. “While eliminating plastics, we ensure cutting down on carbon print and ensure care after nature.”
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Associate professor Kunchev started III panel of the topic “Regulatory and organizational issues about vaccine prophylactics”. “I am very happy with the topic that the organizers have assigned me, because of the participants in this panel would state things clear enough and would raise the main issues we are fighting for.”“When I got invited for the Second conference in vaccine-preventable diseases, I thought – is there something new we could discuss, what new we could say? Truth is the discussion during the first two panels was very lively and different, everyone is speaking about one and the same problems yet viewed from different aspects”, associate professor Kunchev noted.
Master of Pharmacy Bogdan Kirilov from the Bulgarian Drug Agency declared that this type of fora provide field for looking for solutions. “From regulatory point of view, one of the things worth mentioning is the pathway of medicines to patient.”Kirilov reported it is great joy that Bulgaria has traditions in producing vaccines.
Doctor Aleksandar Simidchiev from the Healthcare commission to the National Assembly highlighted as a problem that there is significant mismatch between the expectations towards the Parliament and the things the Parliament is doing. He reminded us that in our country there are laws with modifications on 3 pages. “Why do we keep changing things instead of pressing the restart button and creating laws anew then?“ Doctor Simidchiev presented the proposal for the healthcare to be divided in two – hospital care and prophylactics. “Also, one of the things I proposed some time ago was for the patients not to have rights but at least 9 obligations whereas the first is to oblige the patient to tell the truth and only the truth to his or her doctor. This faced great opposition.“Discussion started in the panel about HPV becoming mandatory whereas this is done through law and not through the ordinance.
Master of Pharmacy Bogdan Kirilov answered the question asked by the audience – how many messages annually are received about side effects of vaccines. “From 2018 to 2022 on the average annually between 1700 and 1900 messages are received about drug side effects. Nevertheless, around 230 are the messages about side effects concerning the COVID vaccines being positive news.” “The world has survived because it got vaccinated.”Doctor Veselina Kenderova, doctor of medicine, from Acibadem City Clinic University Multi-Profile Hospital for Active Treatment Tokuda noted several important things in V panel – “Good immunization practices”:
- Children with chronic lung diseases are immunized with all the vaccines from the immunization plan of the particular country;
- It is desirable to administer additional vaccines and booster doses for influenza, pertussis and pneumococcal vaccines;
- Prevention of exacerbations is an important step in the maintenance of long-term lung health and vaccines play an important role in this process.
”Infectious complications are serious reason behind morbidity and mortality of patients with malignant diseases, especially during antineoplastic treatment and after allogenous transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells. Their prevention with the assistance of vaccines is an important aspect of clinical behaviour whereas the immunocompromising effects of the underlying diseases as well as of the undergone therapy should be taken into consideration for the optimal success rate of immunisation policy” doctor Penka Ganeva, National Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Hematologic Diseases, said. ”What is the suitable scheme of pneumococcal vaccination after transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells? The patients with hematologic malignant disease and transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells recipients are exposed to 45-55 times higher risk (with annual frequency 217-266/ 100 00 persons) of developing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), compared to the general population mainly because of the acquired hypogammaglobulinemia.”
