TIP implementation in Bulgaria

The Tailoring Immunization Programmes (TIP) approach was applied in Bulgaria in 2012 to profile and target Roma populations and health care providers working within these underserved communities.

Outcomes of the project included plans by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health:

• to introduce new tools to strengthen the quality of dialogue between general practitioners and families regarding immunization;
• to improve curricula and training of Roma health mediators so that their role in promoting immunization is optimized;
• to revise the school-entry policy and introduce lessons on vaccines and infectious diseases (such as in biology courses) in schools.

The Ministry is also considering the use of TIP to boost immunization coverage among refugees in Bulgaria.