His opinion had not been expected to launch the campaign for second booster doses for the over 80s, will it be taken into account to extend it to the over 65s most at risk?
The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommends, this Friday, to administer a second booster against Covid (or "fourth dose") to people over 80, but also to 65-79 year olds who are volunteers and who suffer from the most serious pathologies. severe (trisomy 21, severe disabilities,
transplant patients or kidney failure, etc.) or at least three more “classic” comorbidities (obesity, diabetes, etc.).
Several data, in particular in the United States and the United Kingdom, “show that the protection conferred by the booster dose begins to decrease after three months in people aged 60 and over”, it is indicated in this opinion.
On the basis of French hospital data, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) also noted this Friday morning that a single booster dose lost effectiveness over time in those over 60 years.
2.5 million inhabitants already eligible
Since the start of the week, people over 80 and residents of Ehpad can already receive their second booster dose.
2.5 million people are eligible in total.
The government relied on an opinion from the Vaccine Strategy Orientation Council, which was sent to it on February 18.
The body chaired by immunologist Alain Fischer advocated a second reminder for the very elderly.
“With regard to the other age groups
(under 80)
, there is no argument to justify the proposal of an additional dose, both individually and collectively, in the current context. of viral circulation”, it was indicated.
Read alsoCovid-19: after the over 80s, will we go to a fourth dose for all?
The scientific council was less categorical.
In an opinion delivered to the government on Friday March 11, he suggested extending the second recall “to people aged 65 to 79, in particular those with risk factors”.
Indeed, “this population is subject to a phenomenon of immunosenescence with a progressive loss of immunity”, including against severe forms.
The decision to follow - or not - the recommendation of the HAS now rests with the government.
With another point to be decided: the period currently planned between the two booster injections is at least three months, but the HAS recommends allowing at least six months to pass, in particular "so as not to reduce the adherence of the population to vaccination by too frequent reminders”.