AUBG’s Vaccination Campaign By Ruslan Noori Although not as harsh as the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones” portrays it, winter is coming for all inhabitants of the western hemisphere. Whereas white walkers and dragons characterize the fictional one, real-life winter plans on storming us with… you guessed it … the flu. Though not as intimidating as the cold “long night” — that can range from a few months to a couple of years — in the show, influenza killed around 50 million people during its heyday between January 1918 and December 1920 according to a 1997 Stanford University study. Ph.D. and medical author Charles Patrick writes the first approved vaccine against the disease was developed in the late ‘40s. Dr. Daskalov consulting a patient. This vaccine was later used during the Second World War by the U.S Military. New shots were developed afterward, and today the World Health Organization estimates the number of influenza-caused deaths has been reduced to 650,000 per year. Resembling the night’s watch from Game of Thrones, The American University of Bulgaria offers its services as a line of defense. Following the annual flu vaccination campaign, AUBG Daily sought insight from the Health Center Director Dr. Ventsislav Daskalov. Dr. Daskalov, when did oncampus vaccination first become an option here at AUBG, and do you deem this year’s campaign successful? Photo derived from https://www.aubg.edu/health-services. We work and live in crowded It was a long time ago. We have been doing this for decades, almost from the very first moment when the flu vaccine became available on the Bulgarian pharmaceutical market. This year’s campaign was average, I would like to see more people participate. When it comes to accessibility, who does the campaign target, and when does it usually take place? The campaign targets all AUBG community members. 4 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 spaces, and we are constantly in contact with each other. This means that there is a high risk of the virus spreading among the whole community, especially during the flu season. That is why vaccination is a good idea for everybody, especially those with chronic diseases and immune deficiency conditions [to help with herd immunity, as they can’t always get vaccines themselves]. I would strongly advise anyone who is contemplating whether to get shot or not to consult me or their personal physician.
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