D-day for making an appointment without conditions, at least in theory



In a vaccination center in Toulouse (Illustration). – FRED SCHEIBER / SIPA

Vaccines for all, or almost. This Wednesday is the first day of vaccination against Covid-19 for all adults … who have been able to find an appointment. France is thus progressing towards the 20 million first injections mark in mid-May, despite the disaffection for AstraZeneca.

But seats are expensive. In theory, all adults can go to a vaccination center to receive a first injection, regardless of age or health, and without having to “cheat” by declaring a comorbidity on the appointment platforms, but by practical it’s a little more complicated.

Priority audiences not yet all vaccinated

Because these slots are only open for the same day or the next day: many priority audiences have not yet been vaccinated. Thus, only 56% of 60-64 year olds received a first dose of the vaccine. Result, the “volume of subsidiary doses” amounts to only 15,000 to 20,000 daily appointments, according to the Ministry of Health.

To get there, Hugo, a 22-year-old student at Sciences-Po, reserved his time slot “as soon as you get up” Tuesday, before 8 am, and he left Paris, where he lives, for Le Mans. “It’s not too far, the train will not cost too much,” he told AFP. “I didn’t want to wait in Paris,” adds the student, who also works in a production company. What drove him? “The desire to be rid of that and also for the health pass. I want to go on vacation and I don’t want to bother doing tests all the time, ”he says.

Castex recognizes delays

The vaccination campaign is progressing for its part, with more than 650,000 injections on Tuesday. In total, 18.5 million first doses have already been injected, but Prime Minister Jean Castex acknowledged, on France 2, Tuesday evening, that the 20 million first-time vaccinated milestone may not be reached precisely on May 15. . The Doctolib medical appointment platform is counting on this course “probably on May 17th”.

A slight delay due to “delays that we have taken in injecting AstraZeneca to over 55s”, explained Jean Castex. The head of government stressed that “more than two million doses” of the vaccine from the Anglo-Swedish laboratory, now less in demand than its competitors Pfizer or Moderna, remained to be sold, a figure which may increase with new deliveries expected in May and June.

A new opinion from the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) is expected imminently on a possible re-authorization of this vaccine for those under 55, with information on the extremely rare risks of serious and atypical thromboses, but the Minister of Health Olivier Véran seemed to bury this hypothesis Monday: “probably not at the moment”.



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