The announcement was made by Olivier Véran on Twitter Monday evening.
The government has decided to delay the launch of the flu vaccination campaign by four days.
Elderly people living in nursing homes are immediately concerned.
From Friday, all priority audiences will be able to be vaccinated.
The date originally planned was October 26.
Because everything is ready for the flu vaccination campaign, we are moving forward with its launch:
↪️ From today in EHPAD.
↪️ October 22 for priority audiences.
↪️ You can do your COVID recall at the same time.
Take care of yourself.
- Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) October 18, 2021
The Minister of Health specifies that it is possible to carry out the vaccination booster against Covid "in parallel".
Read also Covid-19: despite the resumption of contaminations, the third dose struggles to find its rhythm
The measure was announced Monday to doctors, pharmacists and nurses concerned by the General Directorate of Health (DGS) in an "urgent" note.
According to France Info, the DGS explains that "this year, in a context of circulation of Covid-19 and influenza viruses, the risk of co-infection and the development of serious forms and death" is increased.
The objective is therefore
"
to encourage synergy between the two vaccination campaigns and not lose any opportunity to vaccinate the most vulnerable people against influenza and Covid-19".
10 million doses available
The vaccine against the Covid in one arm and that against the flu in the other: this solution does not involve any danger and makes it possible to protect effectively against the two epidemics, estimated at the end of September the High Authority of Health (HAS).
"The concomitant realization of vaccines" against influenza and Covid-19 is "possible in order to avoid any delay in the administration of one or the other of these injections", assures the HAS in a press release.
“Concretely, the two injections can be performed on the same day”, but in two different places of the body, “a vaccine in each arm”, according to the HAS.
And otherwise, there is no time limit between the two vaccinations, specifies the HAS.
"Most of the priority target audiences (...) are also affected by the administration of a booster dose" against Covid-19, recalls the High Authority for Health.
Olivier Véran had indicated to have "ordered much more influenza vaccine than last year", advancing the figure of "10 million doses" available "in the fridges of pharmacies".
