Covid-19 vaccine: the prospect of a third dose is becoming clearer

The ongoing progression of the 5^e wave of Covid-19 is “Dazzling”, alerted, Sunday, November 21, Gabriel Attal, the government spokesperson, invited on Europe 1, CNews and The echoes. And the prospect of an anti-Covid-19 vaccine booster for all adults in France seems to be approaching. On Friday, during a trip to the North, President Emmanuel Macron already gave a glimpse of it:

“I would not be surprised if we were gradually moving towards booster shots for all adults who have been vaccinated, that’s the meaning of the story. “

The Scientific Council and the Vaccine Strategy Orientation Council (COSV) now write it in black and white. According to them, extending the booster to all adults, six months after vaccination, could make it possible to “Curb the epidemic and reduce the number of serious forms”, as cases soar and the effectiveness of vaccines against infection declines over time.

The COSV, chaired by immunologist Alain Fischer, is the first to have said so, in an opinion dated Friday. In another opinion dated Saturday and made public Monday, the scientific council, chaired by infectious disease specialist Jean-François Delfraissy, supports this hypothesis.

The booster dose – most often a third dose – currently only concerns people over 65 and people at risk of severe forms, as well as caregivers. This dose will be necessary to extend their health pass, and this mechanism will be initiated in principle from December 15.

Reminder for 50-64 year olds, then from 40 years old

But it could go even faster: Monday, during the Day of the Order of Pharmacists in Paris, Jean-François Delfraissy revealed that the scientific council had “Pushed” for this to be the case “From the middle of next week”. It could be “Announced the day after tomorrow”, Wednesday, in the Council of Ministers, he specified.

For the age group below, 50-64 years old, recall will be offered from 1^er December. Emmanuel Macron had announced it on November 9, without waiting for the opinion of the High Authority of Health (HAS), responsible for inspiring the policy of the executive on these issues. The scientific council pleads for the recall to become necessary to extend the health pass for 50-64 year olds, “Under the same terms” than for those over 65, “But with an adapted temporality”. And HAS recommended, Friday, to inject the booster dose from 40 years. “The extension of the recall to under 50s will be studied soon”, had tweeted in the wake of the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.

The systematic recall for all, already decided by Germany, does not however achieve consensus among scientists. Some argue that two doses are still very effective against severe forms and that the urgent need is to vaccinate those who have not had any dose. In France, this concerns some six million people among the eligible population (over 12 years old).

But for the scientific council, time is running out, because this fifth wave may have “A significant impact” on the hospital, predicted, Monday, the P^r Delfraissy. “We believe to rise to 1,000-1,500 hospital admissions per day”, but it will be “Much more limited” than during the third wave (up to 2,500 per day), he continued.

Continued increase in the number of cases

On average calculated over seven days (which gives a more accurate view), the number of daily cases has almost doubled in one week: it is now more than 18,000, against 10,000 a week earlier. It remains to be seen whether this surge in infections will lead to a massive influx to the hospital. For now, this is not the case, which the authorities attribute to the vaccination. Some 8,000 Covid patients are hospitalized in France, including 1,300 in critical care services, against 6,500 and 1,000 respectively a month earlier.

But to limit the damage, “The vaccine will not be enough”, according to P^r Delfraissy. The scientific council therefore recommends “Reintroduce the wearing of a mask in certain places” and to strengthen teleworking, without forgetting the ventilation of enclosed spaces. “The objective will be to do everything not to go towards a new confinement”, because “It is no longer tenable”, according to P^r Delfraissy.

In the meantime, the government intends to strengthen compliance with the health rules already in force. Faced with the rebound of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, wrote on Monday to the prefects asking them to “Firmness” in the sanitary pass checks in restaurants. In this note, he asks in particular to “Maintain mobilization at a high level” law enforcement, “By resorting, if necessary, to the administrative closure of establishments”. “We have already returned to the level of controls for the month of September. We must amplify this effort “, he insisted.