The Ministry of Health reaffirms, however, that “there is no vaccine supply tension”, while witnesses report their recall meetings by vaccination centers.
Le Monde with AFP
avenue Duquesne, we always deny any difficulty of supply in vaccine doses. The delay between the two doses of vaccination against the variole of the monkey, hitherto twenty-eight days, was however extended for non-immunocompromised people, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday August 4. “As part of the preventive vaccination strategy (…) and in order to guarantee the greatest number of people at risk access to vaccination”, the ministry said it “recommended to vaccination sites, in accordance with The opinion of the HAS [High Authority for Health] of July 7 , to lengthen the spacing between the first and the second dose for people not immunocompromised “.
The High Authority for Health had recommended, in its opinion at the beginning of July, a vaccination scheme “of two doses, spaced twenty-eight”, but indicated “that a doses spacing of several weeks may be envisaged In the event of vaccine supply tension “. When it comes to whether the time limit was linked to such a tension, the ministry reaffirmed on Thursday that “there is no vaccine supply tension”.
Two doses of vaccine are recommended for most people primarily eligible, mainly men with sex with men, transgender people to multiple sexual partners, sex workers and professionals in sexual consumption places .
France has “enough to vaccinate the target population”, according to the Minister
In recent days, testimonies have reported cancellations for a second dose. The ministry stressed that “the second dose meetings already programmed should not be canceled” and that “patients whose second dose would be assessed as a priority by a doctor for reasons of health, treatment or exposure, will benefit from an appointment “. On the other hand, “the unscheduled second dose meetings can be scheduled later”.
The Minister of Health, François Braun, repeated on Wednesday, during his first visit to a vaccination center against the variole of the monkey, that France had “enough to vaccinate the target population (…), namely 250 000 people “. After recalling the destocking of 42,000 doses, he assured that the government is “capable of increasing vaccinations according to needs”. “Whatever the effectiveness of the vaccine after one or two doses, it will never be 100 %,” said the ministry on Thursday, insisting on parallel prevention.
So far, some 18,500 people have received a first dose of vaccine. According to a statement arrested Tuesday August 2 by the health authorities, 2,239 cases were confirmed in France. Unlike other countries like Spain, France has no deaths to point out.