Start this Thursday for vaccination by general practitioners, with vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, the third laboratory to have been approved by France.
On Wednesday, the first doses had been sent to 11,200 pharmacies following a complex logistics circuit.
Before being then hand-delivered to just over 29,000 volunteer general practitioners.
Except that incidents have somewhat seized a machine hitherto rather well oiled.
A warning message circulated on Tuesday on the courier services of the Mediterranean Pharmacists Purchasing Cooperative (APM).
Alloga, a logistician specializing in the distribution of pharmaceutical products (a subsidiary of the American Alliance Healthcare) and certain subcontractors, were unable to ensure part of the deliveries of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for which they were responsible.
Of the 180 depots spread throughout France, owned by seven wholesale distributors, 75 were impacted, all located in the southern part of the country, particularly in Lyon (Rhône), Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Bordeaux (Gironde) ), or their surroundings.
The protocol was not followed
What happened ?
According to a source close to the file, temperature variations detected by probes were observed on different batches, questioning the integrity of the vaccine doses they contained.
“Discussions then took place between Alloga, AstraZeneca, Santé Publique France and several Regional Health Agencies (ARS), indicates the source.
The precautionary principle was favored and the decision to delay certain deliveries by 24 hours was taken in order to remove the doubt.
"
Four wholesale distributors - OCP, Astera, Alliance Healthcare, and Cerp Rhin Rhône Méditerranée - thus found themselves unable to supply some of the pharmacies.
According to our calculations, of the 550,000 doses that were to be distributed this week, up to several tens of thousands of doses could thus have been delayed.
Especially since, still according to our information, some deposits have reported to Public Health France having received batches that did not comply with the protocol imposed by the manufacturer of the vaccine AstraZeneca, for example being delivered straight upside down, head towards the low.
The specifications established by the laboratory are however extremely strict: in addition to rigorous monitoring of temperatures (between 2 and 8 ° C), the doses must absolutely be kept permanently in a vertical position.
Some doses may be thrown away
What will become of these doses?
Some could go straight to the trash.
In which case the objective of "zero waste" aimed at by the government would take a first small blow in the wing.
Even if the number of batches reported remains relatively marginal.
The rest was rechecked before being put back into the circuit to be delivered again.
This necessarily induces additional delays.
Consequence: many doctors who were unable to receive their ten-dose vial have already had to call their patients back to postpone consultations until next week.
Morning essentials newsletter
A tour of the news to start the day
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
When contacted, Alloga referred us to its parent company Alliance Healthcare.
“All deliveries were made on time,” says the head office of Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine).
Our commitment to Santé Publique France was to deliver by Wednesday at the latest.
All dispatch establishments in the region were delivered on time.
Some of these dispatchers nevertheless regret having found themselves obliged to postpone their own deliveries to pharmacies by an additional day, therefore Thursday.
When contacted at the time this article was published, Santé Publique France had not responded to our requests.
