50-year-olds have their eyes on the calendar these days.
To watch for the slots in the vaccination centers that will open the doors to them this Monday, and to determine when their second dose will fall.
With many of them in their sights the issue of summer vacations or other obligations.
“I don't want to go hunting for appointments on Doctolib and I'm going on vacation abroad at the beginning of July,” explains Frédéric, 52, against the grain.
Therefore, I plan instead to let the rush pass and wait until mid-June to have my first dose.
I will do the second at the beginning of August on my return to Paris, otherwise it would have fallen during my stay.
"
Juggling holidays
To put an end to their vaccination course before setting off, the juillettists will have to get their first injection within the next ten days, which will not be possible for everyone.
Then, in theory, it will be necessary to juggle leave for the second meeting.
The main concern of the government is, for the moment, to maintain the pace, which has exceeded the average of 400,000 daily injections over the past week.
This goes through the injunctions to use AstraZeneca for those over 55, repeated by Jean Castex this Saturday, at the dawn of a week where all adults without age restriction will also be able to take the vacant slots for the next day, from Wednesday.
But the authorities also have in mind this issue of the second dose and more generally of the vaccination campaign during the summer.
Read alsoSecond dose of anti-Covid vaccine: "It becomes very complicated to navigate"
The subject was on the table of the weekly meeting held by the Ministry of Health with general practitioners, pharmacists and other city health professionals.
On the menu: the need to find enough caregivers to run the vaccination centers during the school holidays, and the desire to adapt to the behavior of citizens during this period.
A dose on his vacation spot?
"We are talking about this second dose with our patients and with the ministry," explains Jacques Battistoni, president of the MG France general practitioner union. The situation is already happening in our practices where we receive AstraZeneca patients, twelve weeks after the first injection. Appointments were given automatically and I have an average of three out of ten people who do not show up because they are apprehensive, have postponed or plan to do so elsewhere. The idea this summer will be to give a little flexibility, not to ban, but to ask the French that the changes remain exceptional. "
Enrique, a 50-year-old Toulouse executive in a very hurry to be immunized, has already experienced the possibility of bypassing the rigidity of the system: “I found an appointment for Friday May 14 for my first dose, but I could not be present for the second on June 25 because of a business trip.
So, I took a slot for a second dose on June 12, still with Pfizer.
It will be four weeks and one day.
I inquired, it's good.
I just have to cancel my meeting of June 25 and everything will be fine.
"
The government and town halls are also refining their strategy to meet the public in tourist places this summer.
The opportunity to seduce some of the skeptics, as a priority, but also for some to finish their vaccination between the swimming pool and the beach.