Facing traffic”intense” of the flu and its impact on hospitals, the Ministry of Health called on Tuesday to “great vigilance” pour “protect the most vulnerable“, ensuring that there will be enough doses to vaccinate until the end of January.
“Seasonal flu circulates intensely in the territory“, where the epidemic affects the entire metropolis, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and causes activity in France”high in hospital, in all age groups, indicating significant severity“, recalls the General Directorate of Health (DGS) in a press release.
“This situation results in a strong demand on the health system. To date, around a hundred white plans have been activated on the national territory“, she adds.
Stressing that serious cases of flu in intensive care “concern approximately 80% of unvaccinated people“, the ministry”calls for continued increased mobilization of citizens and health professionals to vaccinate the most vulnerable people“, particularly those aged 65 and over, and those with comorbidities.
Vaccination is also recommended for those around them, and for professionals in the medical and social sectors.
“Doses are still available in pharmacies throughout the country”
Pour “vaccinate everyone who wants it until the end of the campaign“, at the end of January, “doses are still available in pharmacies throughout the country“, assures the DGS. And “additional doses could be made available to the French market if necessary, thanks to the mobilization of players in the sector“, she continues.
This update comes after reports of vaccine supply tensions in certain pharmacies.
Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF pharmacists’ union, told AFP on Monday that 30% of pharmacies no longer had doses of anti-flu vaccine but affirmed that they “help each other out“while waiting to be able to order others, via a dose extension from the manufacturer Sanofi.
In addition to vaccination, barrier gestures against respiratory infections “must be adopted by all”, insisted the ministry on Tuesday.
First recommendation, tougher compared to previous official communications: “systematically wear a mask in the presence of symptoms (cough, fever, sore throat), but also in public transport, other busy places and places of care, if you are at risk of developing a serious form or in the presence of vulnerable people, whether they have symptoms or not“.
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