While flu indicators are on the rise and winter and the end-of-year holidays are approaching, health authorities are relaunching their campaign inviting vaccination against flu and Covid-19.
A struggling vaccination campaign. French health authorities are concerned about the low level of vaccination against Covid-19 and seasonal flu since the launch of the campaign on October 15.
The number of doses of flu vaccines delivered has decreased by 5% compared to the same period last year. 8 million of these doses were delivered compared to 8.4 million last year, tells us the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France.
“We are having trouble making up for the bad start to the campaign,” declared Philippe Besset, its president.
This is why the government is launching this Thursday, November 28, “a call for the mobilization of citizens and health professionals to protect the most vulnerable people and those with whom they are in contact.”
A reminder which comes as flu indicators are increasing in towns and hospitals in most age groups in France, according to the latest bulletin published by Public Health France this Wednesday. Three regions, Île-de-France, Normandy and Hauts-de-France, are even in a pre-epidemic situation. The Covid-19 indicators are on the decline.
Flu indicators on the rise
The Directorate General of Health emphasizes the importance of being vaccinated now against these diseases “taking into account the winter period” where “the epidemic dynamics of respiratory viruses is likely to accelerate rapidly in the coming weeks”. Especially since the end of year holidays are approaching and it takes around 15 days for these vaccines to be effective.
This reminder regarding vaccination – which aims to avoid serious forms of influenza and Covid-19 – is intended in particular for people most at risk, i.e. people aged 65 and over, people with comorbidities or immunocompromised, pregnant women, but also those around these people.
“This year, more than 17.2 million people were invited by Health Insurance to be vaccinated against these two viruses,” specifies the General Directorate of Health. Since last week, emails, voice messages or text messages have been sent to affected people who have not yet been vaccinated.
Please note that for these people, flu vaccination is 100% covered by Health Insurance. The one against Covid-19 is free for anyone aged 5 and over.
“I strongly encourage the 17.2 million people invited to be vaccinated”
“Vaccination of the most vulnerable is the most effective way to prevent the serious forms that influenza and Covid-19 can cause,” says Minister of Health Geneviève Darrieussecq.
“I strongly encourage the 17.2 million people invited to be vaccinated to contact their pharmacist, nurse, doctor or midwife to carry out this simple and useful gesture for all,” she adds.
All these health professionals are authorized to carry out vaccination in order to “facilitate the widest possible administration”. More and more French people are turning to their pharmacist. 4.5 million doses of vaccines have been administered by pharmacists at this stage, an increase of 6% compared to last year, specifies the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France.
Health authorities insist on the need to have both vaccines, against Covid-19 and the flu. Note that it is possible to receive the two injections concomitantly, “on two different body injection sites”, or in a sequenced manner, without a delay being necessary between the two.
If health professionals are “strongly encouraged to be vaccinated”, they are also called upon to “mobilize” to raise awareness among their patients on this subject. An “urgent” document from the General Directorate of Health was sent to them in order to remind them of the “necessity” of this “commitment”.
“Health professionals play an essential role in informing patients, offering these vaccinations and reminding people of barrier gestures to protect themselves from respiratory viruses,” indicates the government service.
Juliette Brossault and Margaux de Frouville
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