4TH DOSE. The executive is already preparing people’s minds for a 4th dose of vaccine against Covid-19, repeating that they are only waiting for the green light from the health authorities.
While Israel, Chile and Denmark have already authorized the injection of a fourth dose of anti-Covid vaccine, France also seems to be moving towards this new vaccine booster, slowly but surely. This Thursday, January 13, about the vaccination with a fourth dose for the elderly, the Minister Delegate for Autonomy Brigitte Bourguignon declared on South Radio that the executive was awaiting “the opinions of scientific authorities but [que] nothing is closed”. And to add: “If we decided that the vaccine is no longer efficient enough after six months for the elderly, perhaps we will put in place such a reminder. We expect a response fairly quickly and we look at what is happening elsewhere: in Denmark, for example, they are going to start. There is no blockage with us, we have the necessary doses and we could start from March”.
On January 11, it was Olivier Véran who recalled, during a press briefing, that the executive was suspended from the opinions of “scientific authorities”: “The fourth dose, it is still under discussion, it is still too premature to decide on the subject,” he said. And to add: “In the other European countries, we are all at about the same stage on these questions, awaiting a position from the scientific authorities”. Remarks which are reminiscent of those of the Prime Minister, guest of BFMTV/RMC, on January 6: Jean Castex actually indicated bluntly that “dAs soon as our health authorities have said yes, […] we will go” to the fourth dose. In what timetable? Who would be concerned? These questions have not yet been decided because the process of issuing an authorization for the new injection has not yet been completed However, the Matignon tenant mentioned a progressive administration according to age groups and the risks incurred by immunocompromised patients. Enough to continue in the same line as the previous doses, before a probably generalized opening. If he assured that “we are ready”, Jean Castex and the executive are however awaiting the scientific conclusions to speed up the file, in particular those carried out in Israel which has opened the 4th dose to over 60s and to nursing staff. If the first elements have already been made public, the studies must continue for at least another six months, the results obtained being already ambivalent between them (read below).
Olivier Véran had already mentioned on January 3 on France Inter that “the question [allait] arise quickly enough for fragile people in our country, immunocompromised people, very old people who are three, four months away from their recall”. At the beginning of December, the president of the Scientific Council, Jean-François Delfraissy, had put the subject on the table in front of the Senate Social Affairs Committee: “It is possible that at some point we will need a fourth dose”.
Towards a 4th dose of vaccine against Covid in France, as in Israel?
The file should therefore soon arrive on the table. For the time being, the decision-making bodies “discuss[nt] with scientists,” said Olivier Véran. Above all, France first wishes to observe the effectiveness of the fourth dose in Israel, which has opened it since the beginning of the year to over 60s as well as to medical personnel, after a backpedal.At the end of December, the Prime Minister of the Middle Eastern country had indeed announced to open vaccination to these two publics as well as to fragile people, before suspending it on December 30. In question, the absence of a study verifying whether the Omicron variant did not offer immunity to people who had contracted it, thus sparing the population from a new injection. A clinical study was thus carried out on caregivers, leading to the authorization marketing of a 4th dose of Pfizer.
“This hesitation reflects the fact that we are still in a phase of uncertainty. We must give ourselves the time, the necessary weeks in front of us, to try to assess the best scientifically to base a possible decision of this type” , explained Alain Fischer, president of the Council of orientation of the vaccine strategy, on BFM-TV January 3. “When we have their data, I imagine we will move,” commented Olivier Véran. No calendar is therefore publicly studied.
However, in fact, a new reminder has already begun to be injected in France, on a very specific audience. This was announced by Alain Fisher, indicating that “for very immunocompromised people, we have already been on the 4th dose for a long time”. Without mentioning a gradual enlargement according to age groups or medical specificities, or even a generalized opening. Olivier Véran however warned: “If we have a vaccine which is safe, effective and which should protect us over time, we would unfortunately get into the habit of having reminders from time to time”.
What effectiveness for the 4th dose of vaccine against Covid?
If several scientific studies show the loss of effectiveness of the doses of Covid-19 vaccine over time, would the benefits of a fourth injection be real? A first study was conducted in Israel in early January, in a hospital center, with 150 caregivers. All had received their third dose at least four months ago. On Tuesday January 4, 2022, the first results were announced: “antibodies increased fivefold, indicating that the vaccine is working and offers protection against serious complications”. Initial encouraging data which, for the time being, does not indicate the lifespan of these antibodies.
Because new results, reported by the television channel i24News Thursday, January 6, evoke a “disappointing” effectiveness, also arguing that the Israeli government is still waiting before opening this second reminder to the entire population. The study must still be carried out for six months.