A new vaccination campaign against Covid-19, targeted at the oldest, over 80, and those most at risk, will start in France in mid-April, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday. “For those aged 80 and over, immunocompromised people, whatever their age, and residents of nursing homes, a new vaccination will be offered in the spring, in accordance with the opinion of the High Health Authority,” declared the Director General of Health Grégory Emery, during a press conference on the Covid, flu and bronchiolitis epidemics. The objective remains to “protect the most fragile likely to develop serious forms and present severe complications”.
A campaign from April 15 to June 16
The High Authority for Health (HAS), requested by the ministry, recently declared itself in favor of “a spring vaccination campaign against Covid-19 for people aged 80 and over, as well as residents of nursing homes/USLD (long-term care units) and immunocompromised people”, from April 15 to June 16. Any other person wishing a booster will, however, be able to claim it free of charge, provided they respect a period of three months after their last injection or Covid infection.
Pfizer/BioNTech or Novavax
The vaccines for the spring campaign will be, as first line, that of Pfizer/BioNTech (with messenger RNA) targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant or, as second line, that of Novavax (with recombinant protein). The HAS also recommended planning an extension until July 15 “if the epidemiological situation justifies it”.
And, given the “unpredictable nature of a new epidemic wave of Covid-19 and the emergence of new, more virulent variants likely to lead to a drop in immunity against serious forms and deaths”, the HAS had advised not to rule out an “earlier or broader” vaccination campaign if necessary.
Less than a third of French people aged 65 and over received an anti-Covid reminder
The fall-winter campaign mainly targeted those over 65, vulnerable people, those with co-morbidities, pregnant women, nursing home residents or even individuals in contact with vulnerable people.
Barely a third of French people aged 65 and over have received an anti-Covid booster since the start of this campaign, according to data from Public Health France (SpF). Those aged 80 and over were the most vaccinated, with 36.8%, where the rates range between 21.6% and 35.9% for other groups of seniors. And there was “low coverage of health professionals, between 10 and 12%”, noted Laëtitia Huart, scientific director of SpF, on Tuesday.