The WHO Country Office in Bulgaria, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and National Network of Health Mediators, will convene the first of 3 regional seminars with health mediators, local public health officials and representatives of regional health inspectorates.
The seminar is part of Bulgaria’s work under the EU4Health Action on the European Immunization Agenda 2030, which prioritizes reducing immunization inequities and strengthening confidence in vaccines. Following a 2024 desk review of immunization and vaccine-preventable disease data, the WHO Country Office in Bulgaria identified population groups and communities where targeted intervention is necessary to strengthen trust, increase confidence in communication about vaccine safety and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The seminar will support closer collaboration between health mediators and local public health professionals. It will refresh and update knowledge on vaccine safety, vaccine effectiveness, the national immunization calendar and immunization across the life course, while also strengthening communication skills to address questions, concerns and hesitancy among parents and caregivers.
The programme will include practical discussions and scenarios related to missed vaccinations, measles outbreak response, vaccination during pregnancy, the immunization of older adults and children with chronic conditions, vaccine safety, adverse events following immunization, myths and facts and communication with families and communities.
The meeting builds on WHO-supported training for local public health officials conducted in 2025 and is part of a broader effort to support equitable access to immunization in Bulgaria, with a focus on communities that may face barriers to vaccination, including Roma communities.