Covid vaccine in pharmacies: procedure, with the flu?

Covid vaccine in pharmacies procedure with the flu

The Ministry of Health is encouraging the French to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and the flu for the most vulnerable.

The Covid-19 virus continues to circulate and vaccination procedures are still in force.

Who should get vaccinated against Covid?

The targets of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign are as follows:

  • All persons aged 65 and over;
  • People aged 6 months or older with comorbidities at higher risk of severe disease (complicated high blood pressure, chronic heart, vascular, liver, kidney, lung diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancers, people who have undergone a solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant, people with Down syndrome or psychiatric disorders or dementia);
  • People with immunodeficiencies;
  • Pregnant women;
  • Residents in residential care facilities for dependent elderly people (EHPAD) and long-term care units (USLD);
  • People at very high risk of serious illness depending on each individual medical situation and as part of a decision shared with the care teams;
  • People living in the vicinity of or in regular contact with immunocompromised or vulnerable people, including professionals in the health and social care sectors.

Procedure: how to get vaccinated in a pharmacy? Without a prescription?

Since a decree published in Official Journal August 9, 2023THE Pharmacists can administer the Covid-19 vaccine (from theage 11) without prescription. On the other hand, they must meet a number of conditions to be able to vaccinate. It is better ask your pharmacy to find out if it is possible to get the vaccine there and if you need to make an appointment. It is also possible to get vaccinated at your doctor’s office, with a nurse, a midwife or a dentist.

Vaccination against Covid-19 is free

► The time to be respected between two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or between a Covid-19 infection and a dose of vaccine is 6 months.

For immunocompromised people, people aged 80 and over; residents in EHPAD and USLD, regardless of their age, this deadline is reduced to 3 months since the last injection or infection.

Flu and Covid vaccine at the same time

THE two injections (flu and Covid-19) can be given on the same day, at 2 separate injection sites (e.g. both arms). If the two vaccines are not given at the same time, there is no time limit between the two vaccinations.

  • The targeted persons received at their home a invitation letter with a vaccine voucher 100% addressed by Health Insurance. The vaccine is provided free of charge in pharmacies upon presentation of the care voucher. It can then be carried out by the professional of your choice: pharmacist, doctor, midwife, nurse.
  • For the eligible persons who have not received a care vouchera voucher can be issued to them by their doctor or midwife, regardless of age (children and adults) or also by their pharmacist or nurse for people aged 11 and over.

What vaccines are administered?

For the 2024-2025 winter vaccination campaign, vaccines adapted to the JN.1 variant will be used. This is a vaccine from the Pfizer/BioNTech laboratory:

  • Comirnaty® JN.1 30µg/dose injectable dispersion (grey cap) – Adult form (12 years and over)
  • .Comirnaty® JN.1 10µg/dose dispersion (dark blue cap) – Pediatric form (5 years – 11 years)
  • .Comirnaty® JN.1 3µg/dose dispersion (yellow cap) – Pediatric form (6 months – 4 years)

Nuvaxovid®, Spikevax® and VidPrevtyn Beta® vaccines will not be available for order.

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