Olivier Véran, Minister of Health, pleads for deconfinement by territory – Thomas SAMSON / AFP
“Four million people are waiting for a vaccine” against the coronavirus, indicated the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, on Tuesday, recalling the importance of prioritizing, even if “some large metropolitan vaccination centers have vaccination slots that remain open ”.
“If we set a target of 80% of an age group that must be vaccinated to be protected, there are still 4.3 million French people who are subject to vaccination who have not yet been vaccinated”, said Olivier Véran after a visit to the ARS Ile-de-France crisis unit in Saint-Denis, recalling his desire to vaccinate “by prioritizing the age group”.
Slots at the Stade de France
Asked about appointments remaining available at the vaccination center installed at the Stade de France, the minister indicated to make “the observation that there were a certain number of large centers, especially the large metropolitan vaccination centers, which have slots vaccination programs that remain open ”, particularly in Seine-Saint-Denis or in the Val d’Oise.
But for him, this situation in no way reflects the situation of other departments, “perhaps less metropolitan and in which there are still older people waiting to be vaccinated”.
Increasing vaccine deliveries
These availability would rather “reflect the increase in vaccine deliveries, in particular messenger RNA vaccines in Île-de-France and the 20% more slots that could be opened compared to what had been expected”.
“It is not because a municipality would have vaccinated 70% or 80% of its elderly, that it must start offering vaccination to people who have much lower risks of developing serious forms”, a he added, inviting these municipalities to bring in eligible people from the surrounding area.