LATEST: When will you be eligible for the Covid vaccine in France?
From Monday, May 31st all over-18s in France will be eligible for a Covid vaccine. Until then, here's how the priority groups work.
France initially followed a strict priority order with the most vulnerable vaccinated first, but has gradually opened up vaccinations to more and more groups until on Thursday prime minister Jean Castex announced the opening of vaccines for all from May 31st, two weeks earlier than initially scheduled.
France has four available vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna for all age groups and AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson for over 55s only.
Eligible now
The groups who are currently eligible for the vaccine are:
- Over 50s
- People under 50 with underlying health conditions eg diabetes, hypertension of a BMI of above 30
- Under 50s who are close family members or co-habitees of someone with a compromised immune system
- Staff and residents at Ehpad nursing homes
- Health workers, emergency workers and home helps working with vulnerable groups
People under 50s with a health condition do not need a prescription to get the vaccine, or provide proof of their medical condition, a simple 'declaration' will suffice, the health ministry has said.
READ ALSO How to book an appointment for the Covid vaccine
Over-18s may sign up for last-minute, leftover doses through the medical platform Doctolib (info below).
Healthcare workers, emergency workers and domestic and home helps who work with vulnerable groups can access the vaccine via their employer.
Many people in eligible groups reported long delays in getting an appointment, or even a complete shortage of appointments in some areas, but there is a website dedicated to helping people find appointments near them - find out more here. People not in eligible groups can also sign up for alerts on 'spare' doses left over at the end of the day.
READ ALSO: How to book a 'last-minute' vaccine slot
May 24th
Vaccine open to all over 18s in priority professions.
These professions are;
- Teachers, teaching assistants and staff in nursery schools or crèches
- Non-teaching staff working in schools, nurseries or universities (including catering and maintenance staff)
- Support workers for families or people with disabilities
- Child protection professionals
- Staff in emergency accommodation
- Police officers and police civilian staff
- Security guards
- Prison and probation staff
- Military personnel
- Drivers including bus drivers, taxi drivers, HGV drivers and delivery staff (including postmen/women)
- Staff on ferries or other boat transport
- Public transport inspectors
- Cleaning and maintenance staff
- Waste collectors or people who work in waste processing or sewage processing centres or water treatment works
- Anyone employed in food retail including supermarket cashiers and shelf-stackers, pâtissiers, bakers, butcher and greengrocers
- Tobacconists
- Anyone working in the hospitality sector including staff and mangers at hotels, cafés and restaurants
- Funeral home and mortuary staff
- Staff at food processing plants, slaughterhouses or meat processing plants
- Veterinary public health inspectors
- Labour inspection officers
- Anyone working in the events industry
- Anyone working in a sports centre or gym
- Employees of air or sea transport companies which travel to high-risk areas
May 28th
Pharmacies and GPs begin injecting the Moderna vaccine, two pharmaceutical unions told French media. So far Moderna and Pfizer, both mRNA vaccines and difficult to store, have been available in vaccination centres only.
The government hopes that rolling out Moderna for use in the country's many pharmacies and with GPs will help speed up the effort to reach herd immunity, but also increase trust in the vaccine.
May 31st
All over 18s will be eligible for the vaccine from May 31st, two weeks earlier than the scheduled date of June 15th. There will be no prioritising of certain jobs or living situation.
Vous avez 18 ans ou plus : rendez-vous le 15 juin pour vous faire vacciner.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 30, 2021
Trouble finding an appointment?
Being in an eligible group is just half the battle, many people report a severe shortage of appointments, especially for those in rural areas. You can find the different options to book an appointment HERE and there is also a site aimed at finding people their nearest appointment - find it HERE.
Those who are not in eligible groups can sign up HERE to get alerts on 'spare' doses or unfilled appointments in there local area.
Foreigners living in France are entitled to a vaccine, even if they are not registered in the health system and don't have a carte vitale - find out how HERE.
Targets
France's overall target is to have offered the vaccine to everyone by either August 31st, according to Health Minister Olivier Véran, or the slightly more vague 'end of the summer' according to President Macron.
The goal was to reach 10 million first doses by mid April - reached one week early - then 20 million by mid May and 30 million before the summer.
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France initially followed a strict priority order with the most vulnerable vaccinated first, but has gradually opened up vaccinations to more and more groups until on Thursday prime minister Jean Castex announced the opening of vaccines for all from May 31st, two weeks earlier than initially scheduled.
France has four available vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna for all age groups and AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson for over 55s only.
Eligible now
The groups who are currently eligible for the vaccine are:
- Over 50s
- People under 50 with underlying health conditions eg diabetes, hypertension of a BMI of above 30
- Under 50s who are close family members or co-habitees of someone with a compromised immune system
- Staff and residents at Ehpad nursing homes
- Health workers, emergency workers and home helps working with vulnerable groups
People under 50s with a health condition do not need a prescription to get the vaccine, or provide proof of their medical condition, a simple 'declaration' will suffice, the health ministry has said.
READ ALSO How to book an appointment for the Covid vaccine
Over-18s may sign up for last-minute, leftover doses through the medical platform Doctolib (info below).
Healthcare workers, emergency workers and domestic and home helps who work with vulnerable groups can access the vaccine via their employer.
Many people in eligible groups reported long delays in getting an appointment, or even a complete shortage of appointments in some areas, but there is a website dedicated to helping people find appointments near them - find out more here. People not in eligible groups can also sign up for alerts on 'spare' doses left over at the end of the day.
READ ALSO: How to book a 'last-minute' vaccine slot
May 24th
Vaccine open to all over 18s in priority professions.
These professions are;
- Teachers, teaching assistants and staff in nursery schools or crèches
- Non-teaching staff working in schools, nurseries or universities (including catering and maintenance staff)
- Support workers for families or people with disabilities
- Child protection professionals
- Staff in emergency accommodation
- Police officers and police civilian staff
- Security guards
- Prison and probation staff
- Military personnel
- Drivers including bus drivers, taxi drivers, HGV drivers and delivery staff (including postmen/women)
- Staff on ferries or other boat transport
- Public transport inspectors
- Cleaning and maintenance staff
- Waste collectors or people who work in waste processing or sewage processing centres or water treatment works
- Anyone employed in food retail including supermarket cashiers and shelf-stackers, pâtissiers, bakers, butcher and greengrocers
- Tobacconists
- Anyone working in the hospitality sector including staff and mangers at hotels, cafés and restaurants
- Funeral home and mortuary staff
- Staff at food processing plants, slaughterhouses or meat processing plants
- Veterinary public health inspectors
- Labour inspection officers
- Anyone working in the events industry
- Anyone working in a sports centre or gym
- Employees of air or sea transport companies which travel to high-risk areas
May 28th
Pharmacies and GPs begin injecting the Moderna vaccine, two pharmaceutical unions told French media. So far Moderna and Pfizer, both mRNA vaccines and difficult to store, have been available in vaccination centres only.
The government hopes that rolling out Moderna for use in the country's many pharmacies and with GPs will help speed up the effort to reach herd immunity, but also increase trust in the vaccine.
May 31st
All over 18s will be eligible for the vaccine from May 31st, two weeks earlier than the scheduled date of June 15th. There will be no prioritising of certain jobs or living situation.
Vous avez 18 ans ou plus : rendez-vous le 15 juin pour vous faire vacciner.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 30, 2021
Trouble finding an appointment?
Being in an eligible group is just half the battle, many people report a severe shortage of appointments, especially for those in rural areas. You can find the different options to book an appointment HERE and there is also a site aimed at finding people their nearest appointment - find it HERE.
Those who are not in eligible groups can sign up HERE to get alerts on 'spare' doses or unfilled appointments in there local area.
Foreigners living in France are entitled to a vaccine, even if they are not registered in the health system and don't have a carte vitale - find out how HERE.
Targets
France's overall target is to have offered the vaccine to everyone by either August 31st, according to Health Minister Olivier Véran, or the slightly more vague 'end of the summer' according to President Macron.
The goal was to reach 10 million first doses by mid April - reached one week early - then 20 million by mid May and 30 million before the summer.
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