The World Health Organization warns of a global threat of measles.

40 million children around the world missed their immunization in 2021. In Bulgaria, the number of unimmunized children against the disease doubled in the first year of the Covid pandemic.

"We have a lag in immunization coverage, this is a trend that is going on all over the world. The epidemic risks are real because of the holes in the immunization calendars. Most of the vaccines are at reduced coverage in 2020-2021. We still do not have an epidemic of these vaccine-preventable diseases - the decline is up to 90% according to the various positions of the National Immunization Calendar. But the risk is tangible, because we have not had such a drop," warned the chairman of the "Astra Forum" foundation, Dr. Momchil Baev, in the "Bulgaria morning" studio.

He pointed to the suspension of women's and children's consultations during the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the reasons for the decline.

Another reason is the interruption of vaccine supplies.

But he pointed to anti-vaccination sentiments as the biggest problem.

"This is a global public health challenge. Measles is a highly contagious disease. I hear attitudes from parents who think it is better for the child to get sick and acquire immunity naturally. This creates a risk of severe illness, causes suffering for children, which can be prevented with the vaccine," said Dr. Baev to Bulgaria ON AIR.

He called on general practitioners to keep an eye on vaccines, but called for greater responsibility on the part of parents as well.

Another problem he pointed out is the withdrawal of vaccine manufacturers from the Bulgarian market. 

"Bulgaria is a small market, which is sometimes a challenge. There is a lack of monovaccines for Hepatitis A, for poliomyelitis, monovaccine for measles," the interlocutor specified.

Attention!

We are threatened by a global spread of measles

The last measles boom in our country was in 2019. The other concern of the medics is related to the arrival of the Ukrainian refugees.

A large number of children are not immunized and this poses a risk of epidemic outbreaks.