While the new vaccination schedule that has just been released includes new recommendations, new health professionals will now be able to administer vaccines to adults without a medical prescription: nurses and midwives. For pharmacists, a prescription will be required.
- Nurses and midwives can prescribe vaccinations against 15 new diseases and perform them.
- Pharmacy preparers, community pharmacists and mutual pharmacies as well as some students could already inject the flu vaccine.
New for vaccination in France: the new vaccination schedule recommends protecting babies from 2 months against meningococcal B, vaccinating pregnant women against whooping cough and offering seasonal vaccination against influenza to all professionals exposed to swine and avian influenza viruses. And the right of certain health professions to administer several vaccines to adults without a medical prescription has just been extended. Influenza, rabies, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, whooping cough, human papillomavirus, pneumococcus, hepatitis (A and B), meningococci (A, B, C, Y and W)… these are in all, 15 diseases for which you can now get vaccinated by a nurse, pharmacist or even a midwife rather than having to make an appointment with your doctor.
Persons 16 years and older for pharmacists
This government decision comes three months after the High Authority for Health (HAS) issued a favorable opinion. For the moment, the extension of the vaccination skills of nurses and pharmacists only concerns people aged 16 and over.
Up to newborns for midwives
Midwives can practice and prescribe vaccination in pregnant women, newborns and “people who regularly live in their surroundings”. They will be able to perform injections against the same pathologies as those mentioned above.
No prescription needed for nurses and midwives
For nurses and midwives, there will be no need to present a prescription. On the other hand, it will be necessary to provide a medical prescription to the pharmacists so that they can vaccinate.
The opinion of the Medicines Agency awaited
“To be able to prescribe them, we are waiting for an opinion from the drug agency”, estimates Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF, the main trade union of the profession, to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The body should deliver its opinion by this fall.
Between 7.50 and 9.60 euros
Pharmacists have already negotiated fees of 7.50 to 9.60 euros per vaccine injected. These costs will obviously be reimbursed by social security.
