On Monday, the French government launched a new Covid-19 booster vaccination campaign aimed at elderly and vulnerable people.
The campaign will run until at least June 15th, 2025. It may then be extended into July, if health officials think it necessary.
The pre-summer vaccine drive was recommended by France's national health authority, the Haute Autorité de Santé, in a report published in March.
Despite the fact that it has now been over five years since the start of the pandemic, the latest variant of the virus is still circulating in France, though at lower levels than in years previous.
In its most recent bulletin, Santé Publique France said that there were no immediate public health concerns about Covid-19. However, certain groups are still at risk of developing a severe form of the disease, especially ahead of the busy summer travel season.
As such, the latest campaign will target:
- Anyone aged 80 and over;
- Anyone with weakened immune systems, regardless of their age;
- people residing in care homes or long-term care units, regardless of their age;
- and any person at very high risk according to each individual medical situation and as part of a medical decision shared with the care team.
Vaccinations can be repeated three months after the last injection or last Covid-19 infection.
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be able to receive this new injection directly at their facility.
For everyone else, the vaccine may be administered by general practitioners or specialists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, or hospital departments where the person is being treated.
Vaccinations against Covid-19 are entirely reimbursed the French public health insurance system, for people who are registered. If you are not registered, you can still get the vaccine but you would need to pay out of pocket. Contact your local pharmacy to get an exact cost estimate, but it should be around €15.
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Genevieve Mansfield
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