Some people were vaccinated before they were eligible, to prevent unused doses of the Covid vaccine from being wasted. – SYSPEO / SIPA
- While for the time being, only those over 70, over 50 with co-morbidities and caregivers are eligible for vaccination, some young and healthy people have already received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
- In a vaccination center, in an office or in a dispensary, they were inoculated before the hour.
- These are doses that had not found takers and that would have ended up in the trash if necessary.
Vaccinate massively, quickly, and as a priority the most vulnerable to Covid-19. This is the strategy of the government which, for lack of sufficient doses to immediately vaccinate all over 18s, has established priority audiences: over 75s – and since this week over 70s -, those over 50 with co-morbidities and caregivers. But in practice, some manage to receive their first dose even though they are not yet eligible.
Scandal or privilege? None of that. While all the countries of the world are seeking to obtain anti-Covid vaccines, there is no question in France that the slightest dose ends up in the trash. So vaccinators go into zero-waste mode and allow a lucky few to get an injection earlier than expected to avoid throwing away unused doses.
“It is a measure of common sense”
In his office as in the vaccination center where he works, Dr Jean-Louis Bensoussan, general practitioner and vice-president of URPS Occitanie, makes appointments in strict compliance with eligible targets: “People over 70 and over 50 with co-morbidities,” he explains. But when we organize the vaccination of several dozen people over half a day and one withdraws at the last minute, obviously, we try to find someone to inject the dose, it is a measure of common sense. . Either we call patients or, if it is at the end of the day and we have no one, we vaccinate the staff or volunteers of the vaccination center, even if they are younger and in good health, so not yet eligible. Which has happened two or three times ”.
Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is enough. “We showed up with my husband at the vaccination center a quarter of an hour before closing, and there were doses of Pfizer left, so we were vaccinated,” says Marie-Christine, 73 years old. And as there were still some left, the centre’s secretariat asked us if we had any relatives wishing to be vaccinated. So we called a couple of friends, who came over. This made it possible to not lose any dose ”.
Chantal, she was only accompanying her husband for his first injection, when “a man, who also came for his vaccine, could not do it because he had too many allergies. The doctor suggested that I do it so as not to throw away the dose, and I accepted straight away ”. At 44, Sandrine is not yet eligible despite the multiple sclerosis she suffers from. “But this morning, I accompanied my mother, aged over 75, to a center. I tried my luck with the doctor, telling him that if he had an extra dose, I would volunteer. I waited a bit, and after several cancellations, I received my first injection, much to my relief ”.
“Here I am vaccinated at 31”
An anti-waste policy also valid in medical offices. “We extract 11 to 12 doses per vial of AstraZeneca, and if I have one left, I call patients from my waiting list to come immediately. From the moment the bottle is opened, you are very limited by time, so you might as well vaccinate someone, even ineligible, ”says Dr Bensoussan. Thus, Michaël was one of the very first to receive the vaccine in town. “It was the first day when doctors could vaccinate in their office,” recalls the young man. My attending physician stopped me in the street. He had just vaccinated his ten patients and let me know that he had one bottom of the vial left. I preferred to vaccinate my mother-in-law, at risk but not yet eligible. I accompanied her to my doctor who, after pricking her, could still extract a dose from the vial. He said to me: “it is now where I throw it”. So here I am vaccinated at 31 with AstraZeneca ”.
Yoann, 35, hadn’t planned to be vaccinated so early either. “I had an appointment with the doctor, his last of the day, and he had a dose left because a patient had not come. He knew that I work in contact with the public and that I wanted to be vaccinated. It’s a good operation for everyone since, as I already had Covid-19 a few months ago, I only need one dose ”.
“What is taken is no longer to be taken”
Three weeks ago, Thomas, 38, and his wife were vaccinated. “I received this dose unexpectedly, by my sister-in-law who is a doctor. It was the end of the day, and he had two doses of AstraZeneca left: two elderly people had withdrawn, preferring to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Logic dictates that what is taken is no longer to be taken: we did not steal the place of a priority person, and it would have hurt our hearts if these doses were lost ”.
Ditto for Sabine, 38 years old. “I have been treated for a year for grade 3 breast cancer, but I don’t have chemotherapy, so I’m not eligible,” she explains. Three weeks ago, a doctor friend offered to give me the first injection of AstraZeneca because many doses were not used. I hesitated a little, I did not want to be accused of having a privilege, but I accepted, because even if I am not in the priority audience, I am very weakened physically ”.
“I received my first dose, but without taking the place of a priority person”
In the pharmacies either, there is no question of spoiling. At Pharmacy 164, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, “patients can register on a waiting list via our app or on site,” explains the pharmacist, who began to vaccinate on March 15. Yesterday everyone came, I had no cancellations. But when I have one or two doses left at the end of the day, the goal is to do everything not to lose them ”. So when she calls someone lucky on her waiting list, the pharmacist knows she’s making someone happy. “A patient told me I was a heroine,” she jokes.
Bénédicte, 59 years old and without comorbidity, is one of the lucky ones called by their dispensary. “Yesterday at 3:30 pm, I went to the pharmacy to say that I wanted to be vaccinated. Obviously, without taking the place of a priority person, she says. At 5pm, I was called to tell me to come and presto, I received my first dose! “