The vaccination of minors over 12 years old, which begins on Tuesday, is an "arithmetic imperative" to approach group immunity against Covid-19.
These are the comments made by Professor Alain Fischer, the government's “vaccine mister”, in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.
"The idea of vaccinating teens instead of reluctant adults is ethically unacceptable."
But “the opening Tuesday to teenagers is justified” because “it is an arithmetic imperative: to achieve group immunity, 90% of 12 to 100 year olds must be vaccinated;
so that it will remain out of reach even by vaccinating almost all adults, ”he says.
Read alsoCovid-19: the events of the day live
The government announced on June 2 that young people between the ages of 12 and 18 could be vaccinated from June 15.
Beyond the "arithmetic" imperative, Professor Fischer also mentions for teenagers (who have a minimal health risk in the face of Covid) an "individual benefit in a social and psychological sense" because "they pay too heavy a price for the pandemic ”with dropping out of school and very heavy psychological impacts for young people deprived of college or high school.
Group immunity is "on the horizon"
“The vaccination will reduce the risk of closing establishments at the start of the school year.
We know that teenagers participate as much as adults in the circulation of the virus, so we have to go, ”continues the official.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Saturday that the symbolic bar of 30 million French people having received a first dose has been crossed, a "beautiful symbol", according to Professor Fischer, but who finds "more speaking to reason from the number of French protected ”. "Let's make a very simple addition: if we add people who have been fully vaccinated, those who have received a dose for at least two weeks and are therefore already partially immune, those who have natural immunity after having had the Covid, we arrive at around 32 millions ”, calculates the doctor. “So almost half of the population is protected. There is group immunity on the horizon, ”notes Alain Fisher. “But it's like a marathon where we have already run two-thirds. And we know that the last one will be the most difficult ”,he warns, however.