Vaccination against Covid-19 is still in force in France but only the people most at risk are now targeted. Practical guide for primary vaccination and booster doses.
In Francethere vaccination against Covid-19 started in December 2020 and has target everyone. On February 24, 2023, the High Authority of Health announced no longer recommend primary vaccination against Covid-19 in the general population but “emphasizes the importance of leave the possibility to any person who expresses the request, to benefit from an integral care of their vaccination against Covid-19″. This opinion may change in the event of a new epidemic wave and the emergence of new, more virulent variants. HAS recommends, however, “vaccinate in the fall of 2023 the people most at risk of a severe form of the disease”. That’s to say ? Who should call back next fall?
HAS Covid vaccination recommendations for 2023
“At the end of its evaluation, and in order to confer a level of vaccine protection sufficient to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with Covid-19 and therefore to reduce the number of deaths and the occurrence of a serious form requiring hospitalizations”, the HAS:
- no longer recommends primary vaccination against Covid-19 in the general population
- recommends vaccinating against Covid-19 in the fall of 2023 the people most at risk of severe disease
- recommends coupling the fall Covid vaccination with the flu vaccination campaign
- recommend for people aged 80 and over and immunocompromised people as well as for any person at very high risk, so they can benefit from additional vaccination in the spring (respecting a period of at least six months since the last dose or infection).
- preferentially recommends the administration of bivalent vaccines adapted to Omicron
- to observe a period of at least 6 months since the last dose or infection, regardless of age and booster rank, before administering the booster dose
Who is at risk for a booster dose in 2023?
From spring 2023 for:
- people aged 80 and over
- immunocompromised people
- anyone at very high risk
AT fall 2023 for people most at risk of a severe form of the disease, in particular:
- people aged 65 and over
- infants from 6 months, children, adolescents and adults with comorbidities at higher risk of severe disease (hypertension, heart, vascular, liver, kidney, lung problems, diabetes, obesity, cancers, transplant recipients, people with trisomy 21 or psychiatric disorders or dementia);
- pregnant women ;
- immunocompromised people;
- people with any other comorbidity, taking into account the individual medical situation, within the framework of a medical decision shared with the healthcare team;
- people living in the environment or in regular contact with immunocompromised or vulnerable people, including professionals in the health and medico-social sectors.
Vaccination against Covid-19 is carried out on appointment. This appointment can be made:
- on Health.fr ;
- by phone : 0 800 009 110 (7 days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.);
- nearby doctor (by calling or via an online dating site if available);
- in pharmacy (by making an appointment online (DoctolibKeldoc, Quick my dose…).
- in the workplace (occupational medicine);
- at the place of care (health establishment, nursing home, etc.).
If you are over the age of 80 and have difficulty getting around and that you wish to benefit from a vaccination at home, a green number has been made available to put you in touch with the services likely to offer you home vaccination. The number is: 0800 730 957.
The third dose of Covid vaccine corresponds to the first booster dose. The second booster dose corresponds to a 4th dose of vaccine. To make an appointment :
- Go to an online appointment booking site (Doctolib, maiia, Keldoc) and select “3rd dose” or “booster dose”.
- Go on Health.fr to see the list of vaccination centers
- Go to the site Vitemadose
On which sites can we make an appointment to be vaccinated against Covid?
There are several sites to make an appointment and get vaccinated against Covid:
- Doctolib
- maiia
- Keldoc
- Quick my dose
Vaccination against Covid is mainly carried out by appointment but it is possible to be vaccinated in certain pharmacies or vaccination centers without an appointment. They must be contacted beforehand to find out if they perform the vaccination without an appointment. Those over 65 have priority for vaccination and do not need an appointment to be vaccinated. Go :
- on sante.fr which specifies for each place whether they are accessible with or without an appointment as well as the places open on Sundays;
- on appointment booking platforms Doctolib, Keldoc, maiia
- by telephone: 0 800 009 110 (7 days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.);
- with a pharmacist, a city doctor (general practitioner, specialist doctor, or occupational doctor) or a nurse
- at your workplace;
- at your place of care.
How to get vaccinated in pharmacies?
There making appointments in pharmacies is not necessary for over 65s primarily concerned with vaccination. Vaccination is done for others by appointment (either by going directly to the pharmacy to make an appointment, or by going to an appointment-making site (Doctolib, etc.).
What is the toll-free number to make an appointment?
The green number 0 800 730 957, accessible free of charge, every day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. allows people over 80 to make an appointment at home or directly with a health professional authorized to vaccinate.
Key dates for vaccination against Covid-19 in France
- December 2020 : launch of the first vaccination campaign against Covid-19
- June 2021 : opening of primary vaccination to adolescents at risk
- August 2021 : recommendation of the administration of a booster dose for people at risk
- November 2021 : recommendation of a booster dose for the entire population aged 18 and over
- December 2021 : opening of the primary vaccination to adolescents to children from 5 to 11 years old
- March 2022 : recommendation of a second booster vaccination for populations most at risk of a severe form
- July 2022 : recommendation to extend the 2nd booster (or 4th dose most often) to adults under 60 at risk, to pregnant women and to people living in the environment or in regular contact with immunocompromised or vulnerable people
- October 2022 : recommendation of an additional booster dose (5th dose for some) for people at risk of a severe form of the disease.
Source: Vaccination strategy against Covid-19 Anticipation of vaccination campaigns in 2023, HAS, February 24, 2023