Like a big cake of which everyone wants to take a large share, the stock of Covid-19 vaccines delivered to France is the subject of all the requests in the field.
More than 3 million doses will have been delivered by the end of this week, according to data available in open data.
The vast majority were provided by Pfizer, but how were they distributed by department?
Regarding Pfizer / BioNTech, the first of the three vaccines now authorized in France, it all depends on the number of people aged at least 75 and health professionals aged at least 50 or with co-morbidities, indicates the General Management. of Health.
These are the two main categories that could get vaccinated until the arrival of AstraZeneca this weekend.
The first, since January 18 (and even since the very first day, December 27, for residents of nursing homes and long-term care units, the USLD).
The second, since January 4.
"The distribution criteria are linked to the target population", summarizes the Ministry of Health.
Moderna, however, was initially directed to the departments where the health situation was the most critical, "in order to take into account the particularly active circulation of the virus".
Four regions were concerned as a priority, from January 11: Grand Est, Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
According to our information, 44 departments throughout France then benefited from it at the end of last week.
But this vaccine is aimed at the same categories of inhabitants as that of Pfizer, also using mRNA technology.
Two streams for Pfizer
We have therefore, in each department, reported the number of Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna doses delivered in the territory (as of February 7 and available on data.gouv.fr) to the population of people aged at least 75 and caregivers aged at least 50. By “caregivers”, we have included doctors and nurses, for whom this number is available from DREES.
The ratio obtained varies from about 0.2 at a dose per priority person, while it is 0.44 at the national level.
“I clearly have the feeling that we have fewer doses than others in proportion.
When I look at myself, I feel sorry, but when I compare, I can not even console myself ”, thunders Christophe Naegelen, UDI deputy of the Vosges.
With 16,550 doses of vaccine received so far this week, the department is indeed one of the lowest ranked when this number is compared to the target population.
"We have seen that the number of doses, it is true for Paris, it is true for other territories, was still very low in proportion to the population", also estimated the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, this Monday morning on Franceinfo.
Vaccine against Covid-19: "We are ready to enter a much more massive vaccination phase as soon as we have the doses", explains Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris
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- franceinfo (@franceinfo) February 8, 2021
The situation may also vary depending on the categories to be reached.
Pfizer vaccines indeed pass through two streams, A and B in administrative jargon.
The first serves nursing homes and private USLDs, after going through the major logistics platforms of Public Health France and then through the pharmacy network.
The second, the most supplied, is used to supply public nursing homes and vaccination centers in hospitals or in town, passing through health establishments.
In Deux-Sèvres, "we are average for doses in nursing homes, but we have always been clearly under-staffed for the centers", squeaks MP Delphine Batho (ex PS).
"A vaccination campaign that has no precedent"
On January 25, the elected official wrote to Olivier Véran to complain.
In response, the Minister of Health replied that "the accumulation of vaccines from the two flows (A and B) does not reveal a situation of under-staffing of the Deux-Sèvres department".
In his letter - which Le Parisien was able to consult - he recognizes, however, that the Regional Health Agency of Nouvelle-Aquitaine “remains attentive” to “strengthening territorial accessibility” throughout the territory.
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"With us, for a long time, there were many basins of life with no possibility of being vaccinated", Delphine Batho is moved.
The member is finally reassured to note that the pace of deliveries will accelerate, with more than 8,000 doses planned by flow B over the next three weeks.
“We are talking about a vaccination campaign that has no precedent.
If ever a supply problem appears, it is solved, ”assures those around Olivier Véran, without acknowledging the existence of a problem in the specific case.
In mid-January, the Minister of Health had also questioned elected officials for having opened too many vaccination centers.
They replied that they had received… fewer doses than announced.
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The department-by-department comparison may also, in some places, have certain limitations.
Take, for example, the case of Doubs, which appears relatively poorly suited to its priority population.
“But we have one particularity, since part of our department is served by the Territoire de Belfort.
This represents at least four or five vaccination centers, ”indicates LREM deputy Frédéric Barbier.
However, the Territoire de Belfort is well ahead in terms of the dose / priority population ratio.
A similar phenomenon could occur in the Paris region.
Paris appears to be very well off, while Hauts-de-Seine is at the bottom of the ranking.
The arrival of AstraZeneca reshuffles the cards
The Doubs has also benefited from 12,000 Moderna doses since January 11, almost as many as the 15,195 Pfizer / BioNTech doses received since the start.
Without this, it would be almost the last department of the metropolis.
Everything will be shaken up again with the arrival of AstraZeneca, whose injections began on Saturday.
For the time being, department by department deliveries are not available in open data.
This time, only those under 65 will be affected, starting with health professionals then by people aged 50 to 65 and suffering from co-morbidities.
The target population will therefore change, as will the distribution key by territory.
Neurologist by profession and only 40 years old, Olivier Véran has already been vaccinated this Monday morning.