Vaccinate against Covid-19 at the end of the year? Skeptical doctors

Emmanuel Macron almost surprised doctors by announcing, during his televised address, Tuesday, November 24 that the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 could begin "from the end of December or the beginning of January".

“We are confident enough to be able to do it in January but, in December, it seems too fair.

The laboratories must have submitted their evaluation files, the European Medicines Agency validates them, and then the French Medicines Agency decides, this requires a lot of work.

But it's great that the president sets a framework.

This makes this necessary rapidity of action official ”, comments Professor Elisabeth Bouvet, president of the technical committee for vaccination at the High Authority for Health.

This ultra-tight timing also made other specialists jump, like Morgane Bomsel.

" Sorry ?

In December ?

questions, skeptical, this research director at the Cochin Institute and specialist in immunology, welcoming all the same the arrival of these injections.

I don't see how that is possible, it seems a bit fast to me ”.

According to this expert, before arriving at this stage, it is necessary to cross many others.

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The first is that the results of industrialists be made known to the general public.

“However, today, we are in a form of opacity,” she said.

“In addition, which vaccine will be chosen in France?

Will it be effective?

How long ?

For who ?

Will it also be for fragile people, who have a weaker immune system?

She wonders.

Apart from this necessary information, there remains the logistics to deploy, the places where to vaccinate and the personnel to find.

“I don't see how these announcement effects could turn into facts.

"

No compulsory vaccination

Everything is being done to keep up this very sustained pace.

The High Authority for Health will present its recommendations "in the coming days", said the Head of State.

Unless there is a last-minute change in strategy, the elderly, especially those in nursing homes, and healthcare professionals, will be the first to be affected.

"We will start with the most fragile, to then vaccinate as many people as possible," said Emmanuel Macron, thus paving the way for mass vaccination, one of the tools, according to him, allowing "to control the epidemic over time" .

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Emmanuel Macron: "I will not make vaccination compulsory"

But, for this to be successful, public opinion will have to be convinced.

Aware of a certain mistrust of the French population on this subject, the President of the Republic affirmed loud and clear: "I will not make vaccination compulsory".

"It is a courageous position, which I support but which will make many doctors cringe tomorrow," comments Professor Bernard Bégaud, pharmacologist in Bordeaux and former chairman of the commission on clinical trials at the National Agency for drug and health product safety (ANSM).

A citizens' committee set up

This presidential announcement launches the starting signal for the vaccination campaign.

"Until now, only the industrialists were on the front of the stage, this evening, the president played his role of arbiter", he adds.

And, precisely, Emmanuel Macron, clearly stated that he wanted a "citizens' committee" to be associated with the establishment of this campaign, so that it takes place "in a completely transparent framework".

"Involving all citizens and not just knowing them is the key to convincing the population to be vaccinated", greets Professor Bernard Bégaud.

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"We must first secure the number of doses, produce the maximum in Europe", hammered the president.

One would almost forget that, for the moment, the vaccines are not quite there yet!