Dominique Le Guludec, the president of the High Authority for Health, justified the slow vaccination by the absence of data on the effectiveness of the vaccine. A meeting is being held this afternoon at the Élysée to take stock of the strategy.
- France has vaccinated just over 500 people compared to 4 million in the United States and China, nearly a million in the United Kingdom and more than 230,000 in Germany.
- From today, the possibility of vaccination extends to nursing staff over 50 years of age.
- Vaccination centers in town should see the light of day in early February.
In this start of the vaccination campaign, France is lagging behind. With barely more than 500 vaccines made, France is a far cry from the United States and China, which have each injected more than 4 million doses. In Europe, Britain, which has just started using the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford, is approaching one million people vaccinated while Germany has injected nearly 240,000 doses and Italy has exceeded 100,000. vaccine doses.
The vaccine extended to healthcare workers over 50
The president of the High Authority for Health (HAS), Dominique Le Guludec, confirmed this morning to BFM-TV the maintenance of the strategy to vaccinate as a priority “those who need it most”. “You have to keep calm and keep priorities”, she added in response to criticism of the vaccine slowness. If we vaccinate a lot but not the right ones, it will take months to reduce hospitalizations and deaths.”
This week should be the week of strategy acceleration. From today, the possibility of vaccination extends to nursing staff over 50 years of age. In addition, a vaccine meeting is scheduled for this afternoon at the Elysee Palace in the company of at least Jean Castex and Olivier Véran to take stock of the vaccine strategy, which is raising more and more questions. This week should also see the HAS issue its opinion on the vaccine developed by Moderna. Vaccination centers in town should also open in early February.
Dominique Le Guludec, president of the Haute Autorité de Santé says that the European Medicines Agency will give its opinion on the Moderna vaccine this week#BourdinDirect pic.twitter.com/VfEOKG4Z9W
— Bourdin Direct (@BourdinDirect) January 4, 2021
Limit deaths and reduce hospitalizations
On the side of the High Authority for Health, the current caution is justified by the lack of data on the vaccine. “We do not know today if this vaccine prevents transmission of the virussaid its president. Vaccinate people not at risk, the interest is to stop transmission. However today, we do not have these data, we absolutely do not know if this vaccine protects against being contagious.” Added to this lack of information is the priority placed on reducing hospitalizations and deaths, which justifies vaccinating people in nursing homes first.
“We must vaccinate quickly those who need it most, the others will come after”
Dominique Le Guludec, President of the High Authority for Health#BourdinDirect pic.twitter.com/nl5Rb0tfJp
— Bourdin Direct (@BourdinDirect) January 4, 2021
“I totally understand the impatienceconceded Dominique Le Guludec. Things will come, but we must remember the principle of this prioritization and why it takes place, it is extremely important. The French must know that we have been working on this since January. We know that in the first months there is no vaccine for everyone. And what is our main goal? Our major goal is to reduce deaths, to reduce hospitalizations.”
Dominique Le Guludec, president of the Haute Autorité de Santé: “We are all extremely impatient, but the French must know that our main goal is to reduce deaths”#BourdinDirect pic.twitter.com/AerfQ1ZAnY
— Bourdin Direct (@BourdinDirect) January 4, 2021
