This is a new step in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, and not the least: a vaccination plan, proposed by the High Authority of Health and unveiled on Monday.
While several manufacturers, such as Pfizer or Moderna, have already announced the development of effective injections, this health authority recommends reserving the first doses for elderly people living in nursing homes or hospitalized in long-term care units, as well as for employees of these establishments, the most at risk of developing a serious form.
A strategy to protect our seniors when a third of coronavirus deaths have occurred in retirement homes.
“We are very satisfied to be the first.
Indeed, we have a population particularly at risk, exclaims Florence Arnaiz-Maumé, general delegate of the National Union of establishments and private residences for the elderly (Synerpa).
The first wave resulted in 10,500 deaths in nursing homes and 3,500 residents transferred to the hospital died there.
For the second, we are already at more than 5,000 deaths.
The prospect of a third rebound worries us greatly: anything that could lessen the impact of this epidemic is essential.
"
"The big challenge will be to get organized"
The establishments are already preparing and, even if they are used to vaccinating, especially against influenza, the stakes are colossal.
Without further details on the serums that will be used, the campaign should start early next year and involve 850,000 people.
How and where to store the doses?
When to inject them?
So many questions to be answered, and quickly.
“The big challenge will be to organize, we are already discussing it with the Ministry of Health, continues Florence Arnaiz-Maumé.
There are conservation, temperature and time constraints to be respected, but we know that when stocks arrive, we will have to be ready.
We will not have a few days in front of us and we will have to vaccinate twice, 21 days apart, ”explains the general delegate of the union.
To carry out this plan, the nursing homes will receive "reinforcement from the mobile teams of regional health agencies", she explains, regretting, however, that the staff of home services is not included in this first stage of vaccination.
"They are the big losers from the crisis," she blows.
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Angry, Pascal Champvert, president of the association of directors of establishments for the elderly and home help services (AD-PA), goes so far as to speak of "fundamental dysfunction on the part of the 'State', specifying that, 'of the 20,000 Covid patients who died in hospital, 80% were over 80 years old and the vast majority were accompanied at home.
We don't care about the elderly in independent residences, seniors and all those who are at home and who die, we don't care about the staff, they don't exist!
"If he is delighted that vaccination is not compulsory, he insists, it will take into account the opinion of residents.
And is particularly worried about the elderly, with cognitive disorders, not always able to decide.
“The problem is, there is so much lack of guardianship in France that many do not!
And even if families can decide, this poses a legal problem and the question of expressing choice.
And that is a scandal.
"