Initially, anti-Covid vaccination for the most vulnerable was to be carried out at the same time as that of the flu, from October 17. Except that the Minister of Health will follow the opinion of the Committee for Monitoring and Anticipation of Health Risks (Covars), which recommends “access to the vaccine booster as soon as possible”.
“Faced with uncertainties about the evolution of the circulation of the virus, I contacted Covars on September 8 to ask them whether it was necessary to accelerate the opening of the vaccination campaign against Covid,” detailed Aurélien Rousseau to the ‘AFP, this Friday, September 15.
“I have just received Professor Brigitte Autran (Editor’s note: the president of Covars) who gave me the opinion of September 15 recommending opening vaccination more quickly to fragile people and more directly exposed to the virus,” he said. -he continued. This decision follows a “simple observation: the Covid epidemic is here”.
“The virus is circulating”
In France, the virus surveillance system has been considerably simplified in recent months. It is currently close to that of the flu. In this context, it is difficult to closely monitor the circulation of the virus. “We think that the incidence has increased by around thirty percent since last week, this must be taken with great caution but the virus is circulating, each of us can see cases around us,” noted Aurélien Rousseau.
Vaccination will mainly target those over 65, vulnerable people, suffering from co-morbidities, pregnant women, nursing home residents and people living in contact with vulnerable people. It will initially use the new Pfizer vaccine, adapted to the current majority circulating variant, XBB.1.5.
Some 2.5 million doses are currently available, the minister said, adding that in total, “13.5 million doses” would be available by November. England announced at the end of August that it was bringing forward its Covid vaccination campaign to September 11. “This is not to sound the alarm, but as the epidemic is there we are highlighting the vaccines which are effective for the most fragile people”, underlined Aurélien Rousseau, also insisting on the necessary continuation of actions barriers.