Vaccination pass: what criteria to end it?

VACCINE PASS. This Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran was heard by the Senate on the place of the vaccine pass in the current epidemic context of Covid. On what criteria can the vaccination pass be lifted?

[Mis à jour le 22 février 2022 à 11h07] The Minister of Health Olivier Véran was heard this Tuesday morning by the Senate as part of an “information mission on the adequacy of the vaccine pass to the evolution of the covid-19 epidemic”. At a time when France is recording a constant drop in new contaminations, the question of maintaining the vaccination pass is on the agenda. But the government prefers to play the card of caution. The Minister of Health presented to the Senate Social Affairs Committee the essential criteria for its abolition.

First of all, the vaccination pass cannot be lifted as long as the return to normal will not have taken place in hospitals, with a threshold of 1 500 intensive care patients not to be exceeded according to the Minister of Health. “Which could happen in two or three weeks,” he said. You also need “that the R factor is permanently less than 1” and “that the incidence rate is between 300/500 at the strongest to be able to consider that we have passed the hardest part”, he added. He also considers that this could happen “within two to three weeks too”. Which leads to a possible lifting of the device “in mid-March in all or part of the places where it applies” he ended up concluding.

France is currently operating a drastic drop in cases of contamination at Covid-19, around 76% since the epidemic peak of January 25, with 86,000 positive cases on average over 7 days, according to the latest figures from Public Health France. “We have been seeing for several weeks a collapse of the Omicron wave, which reduces its pace by two each week”, indeed underlined Olivier Véran to the Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-LCI this Sunday. Corn there are still too many “sick people in hospitals”. IThey were still 28,600, including 2,900 in critical care this Sunday, February 20.

“If the good figures continue, considering lifting the vaccine pass in the spring seems possible to me”, had for his part indicated the president of the Scientific Council Jean-François Delfraissy to Parisian. “We are in the process of finishing with Omicron” , he added. By then, the vaccine pass could therefore already be lightened in the month of “March”, according to the words of the Minister of Health on February 16 on France Info, but in any case, the health system would be kept. in places “at high risk of contamination” such as discos.

In the meantime, from February 28, the mask will no longer be compulsory in closed places subject to the vaccination pass, i.e. in all establishments open to the public, with the exception of transport. “Wearing a mask indoors will be maintained in transport and closed places not subject to the vaccination pass. In other closed places subject to the vaccination pass, wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory”, details a Press release of February 11 written by the Ministry of Health.

What is the end date of the vaccination pass?

Given the improvement in the health situation, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced on France Bleu Isère on Friday February 11 that the vaccination pass could be lifted in “spring”, i.e. before its end date regulated by law ( July 31, 2022): “We will lighten the vaccination pass when the conditions are met, that is to say that we will no longer need to deprogram care for the French for lack of space in intensive care because there would have too many patients with Covid-19 and not vaccinated in reality and when the incidence rate, the circulation of the virus will allow it, with the guarantee that there is not a new virus”.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal, questioned at a press conference after the Council of Ministers on Wednesday February 9, had already mentioned this possible end to the vaccination pass in the spring, bouncing on the words of Professor Alain Fischer, the ” Mr. government vaccine”, earlier in the day: the one who coordinates the state’s vaccination strategy mentioned the deadline of “end of March, beginning of April” before the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee. But he nevertheless conditioned the end of the vaccination pass on several conditions: “The incidence rate must be reduced, at least 10 or 20 times less than today (well under 2,500)”, adding that ” the current hospital overload has disappeared” and “that non-covid patients can be treated without delay”. Another necessary condition to lift the vaccination pass: you need a “high booster vaccination coverage”.

In which places subject to the vaccination pass will the mask no longer be compulsory?

From February 28, 2022, the mask will no longer be compulsory in the interior spaces below subject to the vaccination pass, with the exception of transport (TGV, Intercités, night trains):

• Cinemas
• Museums and monuments
• Theaters and other performance halls
• Concert halls and festivals
• Party rooms
• Libraries
• discos
• Trade shows, fairs and seminars
• Restaurants, bars and cafes
• Campsites, hotels and holiday centers
• Casinos and other gaming halls
• Sports establishments (sports hall, gymnasium, ice rink, horse riding stables, etc.)
• Theme parks
• Boat cruises of more than 50 passengers

Long-term transport subject to the vaccination pass, i.e. TGV, Intercités, night trains, long-distance coaches and domestic flights, are still subject to the wearing of a mask, just like other public transport not subject to the pass.

What changes to the vaccination pass since February 15?

Since February 15, 2022, the French have had to take their booster dose from the moment they received their last injection for more than 4 months, against 7 months so far, under penalty of losing their vaccination pass. The measure applies to people aged 18 and over, but there are exceptions to all of this:

French people who have been infected with the Covid virus can keep their vaccination pass without a booster dose. To summarize, if you have injected a single dose of vaccine, but you have been contaminated twice with Covid-19, the vaccination schedule is complete, if you have injected two doses vaccine and you have been infected once with Covid-19, the vaccination schedule is complete. An infection is now equivalent to an injection, except in this very specific case: having been contaminated three times by Covid-19 does not make it possible to have a complete vaccination schedule.

Also since February 15, the validity period of the certificate of recovery after Covid-19 infection has been reduced from 6 months to 4 months. The recovery certificate is “one of the proofs that allows you to have a valid vaccination pass”, had indicated the ministry. This document is only issued to French people infected with Covid-19 more than 11 days ago and therefore less than 4 months (whereas before February 15, less than 6 months).

To obtain the vaccination pass, two conditions: present a complete vaccination schedule (with a booster dose within 4 months from the age of 18, unless you have been contaminated by Covid-19) or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19. 19 dating back at least 11 days and less than 4 months. Negative PCR or antigen tests are no longer valid evidence, unlike the sanitary pass.

Is the vaccination pass compulsory to go to the hospital or to a retirement home?

Health establishments, retirement homes or medico-social establishments are not affected by the law on the vaccination pass. Access to health establishments and medico-social services nevertheless remains conditional on the health pass (complete vaccination schedule, negative test for Covid-19 or certificate of recovery) for patients and accompanying persons, except of course in emergencies, where no these two passes are not required.

Is the vaccination pass required to take the train or the plane?

The vaccination pass is required only on long-distance trains (TGV, Intercités and night trains), planes (domestic flights only) and inter-regional coaches, except for journeys between the continent and Corsica by boat or plane where the health pass remains Rule. Non-vaccinated French people can take these transports only if they justify a “compelling reason of a family or health order”, according to the text of the law. Short and medium distance public transport (metro, bus, Transilien, RER, TER) are not affected by the vaccination pass.