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France to offer walk-in Covid vaccines over the weekend

The Local France
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France to offer walk-in Covid vaccines over the weekend
People wait to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Villetaneuse, northern suburb of Paris, on July 27, 2021. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

Vaccine centres around France will be offering vaccines on a walk-in basis this weekend, the health ministry has announced, while pop-up centres will also be operating in venues including shopping centres.

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At present the majority of centres operate on an appointment system, although there have been pop-up centres offering vaccines sans rendez-vous in some areas, particularly those with a higher than average non-vaccinated population or marginalised groups such as undocumented migrants.

However the French health ministry has now announced that this weekend, vaccine centres across France will accept walk-in patients.

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A spokesman for the health ministry said: "In this period of la rentrée [as France returns to school and work] and the increased mixing of the population, the risk of infection is rising and the virus continues to circulate.

"To better protect everyone while restarting normal activities, it is crucial to get vaccinated. It is also a good time for children over the age of 12 to get the vaccine, before the health passport becomes compulsory for them from September 30th.

"This is why all vaccine centres will be offering vaccines without appointments this weekend, while pop-up centres will be put in place throughout the country, including in a number of large shopping centres." 

Appointments can still be booked for weekends via the usual methods, including by phone or on apps including DoctoLib.

If you are a resident in France but not yet registered in the French health system, it is possible to get a vaccine without a carte vitale - here's how.

READ ALSO How to book a vaccine appointment in France

The announcement comes as France approaches 50 million people with at least one vaccine dose (slightly behind the target date of September 1st) out of a total population of 67 million, 57 million of whom are over the age of 12 and therefore eligible to be vaccinated.

Although the health passport has seen a big jump in vaccine take-up, the daily rate of vaccines has once again slowed, leading the health ministry to try new tactics to reach out to people who have not yet been jabbed.

 

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