With the aim of accelerating the vaccination of the most vulnerable people, the High Authority of Health is publishing new recommendations, in particular for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Who can get vaccinated?
The epidemic situation remains very worrying, with an average of more than 20,000 new infections per day by Sars-Cov-2, but also an increase in cases of infection by variants. In a press release dated today, the HAS updates its opinions, since it has received new scientific data. It is based in particular on a Scottish study, from the British Medical Journal, which shows “ very encouraging results On the protection against Covid-19 of people over 65, from the first injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but also that of Pfizer. The study covers the 5 million Scots and measures “ the impact of vaccination on hospitalizations, by age group (18-64 years, 65-79 years, over 80 years) “. Thanks to her, hospitalizations drop significantly. In addition, the efficacy is striking, especially between the 28th and 34th day after the first injection: 85% in 18-64 year olds, 79% for 65-79 year olds and 81% in over 81 year olds. Therefore, HAS recommends the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people over 65 years of age.
New risk factors
The elderly are still the people most at risk of developing severe forms of the disease. The HAS has also identified four new co-morbidities with a high risk of death: chronic liver diseases and in particular cirrhosis, psychiatric disorders, dementia and people with a history of stroke. Also, some people become a priority for vaccination, regardless of their age. People with trisomy 21, those who have received an organ transplant or patients on dialysis for kidney failure are eligible for vaccination.
Which new professionals can prescribe the AstraZeneca vaccine?
To speed up the vaccination campaign, the health authority is activating a ” other lever “. New professionals can now establish a prescription for the Covid-19 vaccine. Prescribing can be made by pharmacists, except for pregnant women and people with a hemostasis disorder. Midwives are also authorized to prescribe vaccination for women, especially during pregnancy. As a reminder, these health professionals could already administer the AstraZeneca vaccine. The aim of the HAS is to simplify access to vaccination, ” by diversifying the vaccinators and being as close as possible to the population to be vaccinated “.
