The Covid Scientific Council was created in 2020 to guide the decisions of Emmanuel Macron’s government in the management of the health crisis caused by the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus. It will be dissolved on July 31, 2022.
[Mise à jour le 18 juillet 2022 à 12h21] After two years of activity, the Covid-19 Scientific Council will be dissolved on July 31, 2022date of end of the state of health emergency regimes and exit from this regime. In place, the government of Elisabeth Borne provides for the creation by decree ofa “committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks”, placed with the ministers of health and research. The members of the Scientific Council recommended in particular the confinement of the population in March 2020 and the curfews following. They also supported the vaccination mass population to stem the spread of the virus and prevent the arrival of other variants. More than 60 reviews and ratings have been issued by these scientists between 2020 and 2022. In 2022the scientific Council expressed support for the establishment of the vaccination pass. But who are its members? How are they named? And until when?
Date: since when does the Covid Scientific Council exist?
The COVID-19 Scientific Council was set up on March 10, 2020 speak government of Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of Emmanuel Macron (May 15, 2017 – July 3, 2020). This council was created when the state of health emergency was declared in France, in March 2020. Its objective is to keep the government informed of the latest scientific information concerning the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic to help it in its decision making. He was formalized by the decree of April 3, 2020under the name of “Committee of scientists”.
What is the date of dissolution of the Covid Scientific Council?
the Covid-19 Scientific Council will be dissolved on July 31, 2022date of end of the state of health emergency regimes and exit from this regime. In place, the government of Elisabeth Borne provides for the creation by decree ofa “committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks”, placed with the ministers of health and research.
What is the role of the Scientific Council?
The COVID-19 Scientific Council has a decision support role. It issues opinions on the state of the health disaster, the scientific knowledge relating to it and the measures to put an end to it, as well as the duration of their application. These opinions are made public without delay. The recommendations of the Scientific Council “do not bind the Government, it makes them independently solely in view of the general interest of the country” stipulates the rules of procedure of this advice.
Where are the Opinions issued by the Covid Scientific Council published?
The opinions published by the Scientific Council in the context of the Covid epidemic are published on the Ministry of Health website. the first notice was published on March 12, 2020; the last notice June 23, 2022.
Who is the president of the Covid Scientific Council?
The President of the Scientific Council is appointed by decree of the President of the Republic. Since the start of the Covid crisis, the President of the Scientific Council has been Jean-Francois Delfraissy. This doctor is an immunologist by training, Chairman of the National Consultative Ethics Committee for Life and Health Sciences and Chairman of the Scientific Council of the AP-HP Foundation for Research. He was Head of the Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology Department at Bicêtre Hospital, Director of the National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (2005), Director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of the Inserm, interministerial coordinator in charge of the fight against Ebola in France and Africa (2014), professor at the faculty, President of the scientific council of Sidaction, UNAIDS expert
Who are the members of the Covid Scientific Council?
Here is the list of members of the Scientific Council as it appears on the notices of January 2022:
- Jean-François Delfraissy, President
- Laetitia Atlani-Duault, Anthropologist
- Daniel Benamouzig, Sociologist
- Lila Bouadma, Reanimator
- Simon Cauchemez, Modeler
- Catherine Chirouze, Infectiologist
- Angèle Consoli, child psychiatrist
- Pierre Louis Druais, City Medicine
- Arnaud Fontanet, Epidemiologist
- Marie-Aleth Grard, Associative environment
- Olivier Guérin, Geriatrician
- Aymeril Hoang, New technologies specialist
- Thierry Lefrançois, Veterinarian/One Health
- Bruno Lina, Virologist
- Denis Malvy, Infectiologist
- Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Infectiologist
Didier Raoult, Infectiologist. He was part of the Scientific Council at the very beginning and then decided to retire.
Is the Covid Scientific Council independent?
According to the rules of procedure which govern the organization of the Covid Scientific Council, the recommendations of the Scientific Council “do not bind the Government, it makes them independently solely in view of the general interest of the country”.
Do members declare their conflicts of interest?
As soon as they are appointed, the members of the Scientific Council send the Ministry of Health their public declaration of interests, and inform the Chairman of the Council of their possible links of interest for each subject examined. The Chairman of the Board must be able to account for all the links of interest of its members. According to the rules of procedure of the Scientific Council, “when the conflict of interest is proven, the member withdraws and does not take part in the work”.
For instance : Previous or current collaborations with a pharmaceutical laboratory, a company or a public or private establishment likely to benefit directly or indirectly from specific support depending on the opinion of the Board may be considered as conflicts of interest.
Are they paid?
No, the members of the scientific council are volunteers. They must not receive any remuneration or advantage within the framework of their function.
Sources: Rules of procedure of the Covid-19 Scientific Council, April 30, 2020. / Draft law temporarily maintaining a monitoring and health safety system in the fight against covid-19. July 13, 2022.