Rush on booster doses: age, department ... what is the profile of the people who have made an appointment?

It was expected, it is confirmed: the Doctolib platform broke a new attendance record this Thursday. More than 1.2 million French people have reserved a time slot for a booster dose, the day Olivier Véran announced that the target was extended to all adults. The pace had started to accelerate for several days, with 350,000 appointments booked Wednesday and 218,000 the day before. But Thursday marks a huge jump. And this, while these data do not even take into account the appointments, much fewer, on other booking platforms, or people vaccinated without having booked.

Logically, the profile of people who have made an appointment has significantly rejuvenated.

Until then, only residents aged 65 and over, those with co-morbidities and healthcare professionals were allowed to receive a booster.

The 50-64 year olds could already make an appointment, but the bites were not supposed to start for this age group until December 1.

Finally, the booster vaccination can begin, for all adults, from this Saturday, November 27.

60% under 50 on Thursday

On Thursday, 60% of the slots reserved were by people under 50 and almost 30% by people under 35. During the previous week, from November 18 to 24, only 14% of people who made an appointment were under 50 and 6% under 30. Conversely, while people aged 65 and over accounted for 38% of bookings from November 18 to 24, this share dropped to 11% on Thursday, November 25.

Many doctors were also moved by the fact that older people, who often have less easy access to online reservation platforms, were able to be overtaken by younger people.

However, not only are they more fragile and therefore more at risk of contracting a severe form of Covid, but they also generally received their first doses before the others.

And we know that the effectiveness of vaccines decreases over time.

“I made an appointment on December 11, when I have a comorbidity factor, because I couldn't find it earlier by logging into Doctolib.

It's not dramatic, but I find it unfair that younger people walk past, while many older people must have said to themselves that they had the time, ”says Christine, who is almost 58 years old.

Less appetite in the south of France

The French having made an appointment on Thursday alone, 1.2 million of them, therefore, represent a little more than 8% of all those immediately eligible, that is to say vaccinated there is at least five months.

This share exceeds 10% in thirty departments, and it is less than 5% in fifteen other territories.

These are generally located in the south of France, where the proportion of the population having received a first dose is already lower than in the rest of the country.

These data give an idea of ​​the appetite for department-by-department recalls, but they are necessarily a little imprecise.

Indeed, people who have been fully vaccinated for less than 5 months have been able to reserve a slot in several days, or even in a few weeks.

Remember that if they let seven months pass, their health pass will be deactivated.