The government has decided to extend the administration of a second booster dose of anti-Covid vaccine to pregnant womento people from under 60 “at risk” and those living in the entourage of fragile people, explains this Wednesday evening the Ministry of Health. Following the advice of the scientific authorities, this decision was taken in a “epidemiological context which remains worrying, with highly contagious variants”he says.
This extension of the vaccination campaign was notably recommended by the High Authority for Health a week ago. Until now, only immunocompromised people and people aged 60 and over who are at risk of serious forms were entitled to this second booster. According to the ministry, the number of eligible people increases by five million, or approximately 17 million French people now eligible. So far, this dose has been administered to approximately 4 million people.
No enlargement envisaged to the entire population for the moment
This additional booster dose is possible from three months after the first reminder for the most fragile (over 80 years old, nursing home residents, severely immunocompromised). For others, it can be administered six months after the first booster. “In case of infection between the first and the second booster, we can do a second booster injection three months after the infection.further specifies the Ministry of Health.
Asked if the government planned to offer a second reminder to the general population in the fall, the ministry replied “clearly not”. “Today there is no _no likely scenario that would extend the second recall to all_even if you have to be careful”he said.
He also delivered the figures for vaccinations with the vaccine from the American laboratory Novavax, based on classic technology. “We expected significant figures, this is not what we observed”conceded the ministry. “Only 28,000 doses of this vaccine have been injected since March, it is very few but it remains a useful vaccine”, he judged.