On the square of the station lined with narrow and tall buildings, the Grande Pharmacie de Paris, in Lille, occupies a privileged position. At the crossroads of two major railway stations, two metro lines and a tram line, its accessibility is a valuable asset. She was selected, in fact, to participate in an experiment which began on August 10: with four other pharmacies, she is testing the feasibility of vaccination against the Monkeypox virus (“monkey pox”) by city pharmacies.
Inside, a few young men wait, in a discreet line, in front of the parapharmacy stands. “I come from Brussels, half an hour by traintestifies Philippe, 38 years old. In Belgium, the stocks of the new generation vaccine against smallpox are very insufficient. I made an appointment on Doctolib and very quickly obtained a place. Being vaccinated will reassure me. » Behind him, Marc, 42, also comes from Belgium; same thing for Thierry, 33 years old: “I was informed by Instagram of the opening of this vaccination, he explains. For me, it’s a security. »
“Are you right-handed or left-handed? »asks Amaury, assistant pharmacist, in a small blind room nestled behind the sales area. “Right-handed”, replies Mark. After disinfection, Amaury pricks the young man’s left shoulder and gently pushes the plunger. “The vaccine is injected under the skin, it really does not hurthe explains. At most, it may swell a little in the hours to come. » What Philippe confirms, bright blue eyes, smiling behind the mask: “It’s a little sting of nothing at all! »
“There is a strong expectationnotes Fabien Florack, titular pharmacist, manager of the Lille pharmacy. When we opened the first slots, they were taken in less than two days. » This pharmacy was also chosen for its large active file of patients treated for HIV or undergoing preventive treatment. “This population is the target audience for the monkeypox vaccination. On this sensitive subject, our experience gives us know-how. »
Slow but accelerating tempo
Identified in early May, the monkeypox epidemic affects a growing number of countries and people. As of August 19, 40,756 cases were reported in 96 countries, including 19,870 in Europe. In France, 2,749 confirmed cases were recorded on August 16. The Ile-de-France region concentrated the highest number of cases (1,642), followed by Occitanie (244 cases) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (213 cases). All are adult men (median age: 36), except 29 women and four children under 15. To date, 53 people (3%) have had to be hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported in France.
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