It is officially as a caregiver that Olivier Véran had raised his sleeve, not without media coverage, to be vaccinated against covid-19 on February 8.
It is now as Minister of Health that he urges his colleagues to do the same.
Already Thursday, accompanying the Prime Minister during the traditional weekly press conference, Olivier Véran had insisted on the importance of the vaccination of caregivers.
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The two men had started together to try to convince the latecomers ... Or the reluctant.
To the Prime Minister the will to remind that the government has done what is necessary so that caregivers can be vaccinated as quickly as possible.
"I remind you that caregivers have been eligible for vaccination since the beginning of January," he recalled.
To his Minister of Health the charge of publicly regretting a vaccination rate considered far too low among this staff.
“40% of nursing staff in nursing homes and 30% of nursing staff outside are vaccinated, that is not enough, deplored Olivier Véran.
When we are caregivers, it is our responsibility to protect ourselves and those we care for from a virus that can hit them hard.
"
The Minister of Health seems to want to put a layer back on Friday.
Olivier Véran sent a letter addressed to all health professionals to encourage them to go get stung as soon as possible.
A letter that he also relayed this Friday on social networks.
Protect yourself and those you care for.
My letter to caregivers on vaccination.
pic.twitter.com/GBlAuv1qRu
- Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) March 5, 2021
The letter begins unsurprisingly with a tribute to the work carried out by caregivers, on the front line in the face of covid for a year now.
“You are mobilized relentlessly in the face of the greatest pandemic in contemporary history,” he writes.
You are not counting your time, your energy, or your courage to protect the French.
“After recalling the issue of vaccination in the eyes of the government, and its desire to immunize caregivers as quickly as possible, Olivier Véran gets to the bottom of his subject.
A cause for concern.
“Today, nearly 40% of nursing home staff and 30% of health facility staff are vaccinated.
This is an encouraging figure, but which is progressing too little, he confesses.
"
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Then comes the time for the solemn appeal.
“Your vaccination is a guarantee of protection.
Protection for you who deal with patients on a daily basis, and in particular patients with covid who may be contaminants.
It is also protection for your patients and for the community.
"Before concluding:" I ask you, for yourselves, your entourage, the French.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, do so quickly.
Our collective security is at stake, and our health care system's ability to hold up, as it always has, and I cannot thank you enough.
This weekend, members of the government were instructed to travel across the country to push the vaccination campaign.
It remains to be seen what the outcome will be.
And if caregivers, in particular, will respond to this call of March 5.
