Vaccination: after a reminder, the quarter of an hour of waiting is no longer compulsory

The quarter of an hour of waiting after a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is over. At least for people who are taking their booster dose, and whose first injections went without problem. The elimination of this systematic surveillance period “will make it possible to streamline the organization of vaccination centers as part of the recall campaign,” said the Ministry of Health in a note sent to professionals. This safety period is applied from the first doses: the person must remain on site for 15 minutes, to be able to receive medical assistance in the event that a problem arises (of the allergic type, for example).

But “if it went well” during the first injections, “there is no reason to maintain” this period during the recall, we commented to the ministry. “The risk that people who have not had an allergic reaction during their primary vaccination do during their booster dose is extremely low,” argues the Directorate General of Health (DGS), which depends on the ministry, in the note sent to professionals.

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Time maintained for the first two doses

However, this period is maintained for the first two doses. When recalling, it is also maintained for some people. Among them, those who had first been vaccinated with a vaccine other than Pfizer or Moderna, those who have “a known allergic ground” or “an increased risk of having anaphylactic shock”, pregnant women, “people weakened by chronic diseases with possible mobility difficulties “or even those which present” vaccination anxiety “.

So far, no “case of serious adverse effects” has ever been reported to health authorities “within the 15-minute post-vaccination surveillance period,” according to the DGS memo. In addition, the ministry changed the time between the first two injections of the vaccine for children. If the 21-day interval remains “optimal”, it is now possible to make an appointment “from 18 to 24 days between the first and the second dose”. This is to “facilitate the practical organization of pediatric vaccination and in particular the making of appointments”, according to the note from the DGS.