The Minister of Health went on Wednesday August 3 for the first time to a vaccination center against monkeypox, and assured that France had "
enough to vaccinate the target population
", in the face of accusations of slowness from associations. and elected leftists.
“
We have enough to vaccinate the target population (…), namely 250,000 people
”, declared François Braun during a visit to the Alfred Fournier Institute, in Paris, which hosts one of the 139 vaccination centers of the Hexagon.
It is a free center for information, screening and diagnosis (CeGIDD).
Read alsoMonkey pox: the government will mobilize “additional arms” to vaccinate
To date, 16,600 first injections of smallpox vaccine have been carried out and 42,000 doses have been released, he recalled, and the government is "
able to increase vaccinations according to needs
".
Wajih, 40, who came to be vaccinated, slipped to the minister: "
It's not easy to find an appointment
".
“
I toured the hospitals
” before finding a niche, he explains to AFP.
"
I was panicked because I was in contact with someone who thinks he has it, and I've been looking for a date for two days
."
"
Difficulties in the supply of doses are being resolved
“, indicates Agathe Goubard, executive doctor of the center, who points out on the other hand the challenges of logistics and the lack of personnel.
The Alfred Fournier Institute has vaccinated more than 600 people and fills its slots thanks
to "word-of-mouth " and at the request of the "
very sensitized
" target audience
, explains Fabienne Lenfant, head of the vaccination division.
The center has also opened slots at night, on Saturdays, and dedicates time slots to professionals in places of sexual consumption.
Under the fire of criticism from associations and elected officials on the left, who on Tuesday asked for the opening of a senatorial commission of inquiry, the minister defends himself from any slowness and says he is "
at the disposal of parliamentarians
".
“
You just have to find the arms
,” he said, referring to the possibility of bringing in medical students.
Read alsoMonkey pox: WHO issues its highest level of alert
In Lille, Mayor Martine Aubry (PS) announced the “
exceptional
” opening next Saturday of the vaccination center in her city, believing that it was necessary to “
go faster
” in “
the fight
” against the disease.
Today, "
we find that the time slots for vaccination remain insufficient and the waiting times far too long (8 to 10 days)
", she added on Twitter.
According to the latest report from Public Health France, 2239 cases were identified Tuesday noon, including a majority of cases (1375) reported in Île-de-France.
45 cases were hospitalized, including 37 for complications related to monkeypox.