Covid-19: will the booster dose for people over 50 lead to the reopening of vaccination centers? – LCI

The vaccination campaign will intensify. As of December 1, anyone over 50 who has been vaccinated against Covid-19 for more than six months will become eligible for the booster dose. Currently, nearly five million French people have already received their “third dose” out of the nine million eligible people. Within two weeks, according to the Ministry of Health, 3.2 million French people aged 50 to 64 will be able to receive this dose. They will be nearly six million as of December 26.

The vaccination centers, at the heart of the strategy since the start of the campaign, reduced the wing several weeks ago, with the drop in the number of injections. A strategy assumed by the executive, for the benefit of the city, since doctors, pharmacists, or even nurses now have access to the Pfizer vaccine. But with increasing booster doses, that could change. “This can lead vaccination centers which had closed to resume an activity”, assured this Thursday on LCI the spokesman of the government, Gabriel Attal (see video at the top of this article).

Nevertheless, “even with the extension to over 50s, during the months of November, December and January, the volume (injected doses) will remain limited “, specified Tuesday the Ministry of Health. Last week, 1.1 million injections were performed, an indicator similar to that expected in the coming months, between “1 and 1.5 million” every week, according to the ministry.

According to the same source, 40% of injections are now carried out in cities, against 16% in August. And “the city’s vocation is to administer a growing share of injections”, according to the ministry, which indicated on Tuesday that it was “no plans to reopen vaccination centers”.

But Gabriel Attal praised the importance of these “vaccinodromes” in French strategy. “They are identified, have shown all their effectiveness”, repeated the government spokesperson. “The French know them, they know where to go.” It is now up to regional health agencies and local communities to determine, territory by territory, whether a reopening of the centers is necessary.