A vaccine effective against Covid to arrive in 2021 in France? It is getting closer according to laboratories. Pfizer and BioNTech have announced back on November 9 that their vaccine was “90% effective”, according to preliminary results from phase 3, naming the last phase before applying for validation. This Monday November 16, Moderna laboratory announced the vaccine was 94.5% effective with mild side-effects for 10% of people.
Statements that sound like hope as France will not leave lockdown on December 1. Olivier Véran was invited this Tuesday November 17 by journalist Bourdin on BFMTV to explain vaccination will be possible in a few months under the right conditions.
Nous devons avoir des vaccins efficaces et sûrs. C'est à cette condition que nous pourrons initier la vaccination en France. Je m'engage à partager toutes les informations dont je disposerai avec eux. La transparence sera totale. #BourdinDirect pic.twitter.com/lBmG9LE4OF
— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) November 17, 2020
Tweet reads: “We must have effective and safe vaccines. We can initiate the vaccination program in France under that condition. I promise to share all news I will have with them. Transparency will be absolute”.
What are the conditions to get a vaccine against coronavirus in France? Olivier Véran first expects all data from laboratories “by three weeks” for Pfizer. They will be studied by two agencies, one American, the other European. And only then, “as the Health Minister” Olivier Véran will know “whom treatment is the most effective for; elderly or young people?”, whether there are side effects and if they are severe or rather “mild and controlled” and whether people vaccinated fall sick develop a lighter or more severe form of the disease.
Based on these data, the Health Minister will be able to ask for authorization to issue the vaccine against Covid to start the vaccination program “from early 2021”. To do so, the Health Minister has launched a public consultation for set up the vaccine program.
Monitored by the Haute Autorité de Santé – the HAS – from November 9 to 30, 2020 this consultation involves user associations, health professional trade unions, as well as health facilities and companies. The goal is to set conditions to set up the vaccination campaign for an operational launch as soon as the vaccine is allowed to be issued.
While waiting for the results, the HAS has already listed priority target groups for the upcoming vaccine against Covid-19. Health professionals are at the top of the list with elderly people aged 65+, without people being at risk.
Will the coronavirus vaccine be mandatory for these people? The agency things “being vaccinated against Covid-19 will not be mandatory, neither for the general population, nor health professionals”. Furthermore, the HAS says it will be necessary to be fully transparent, “indispensable to build trust with everyone towards vaccines”, on vaccines available on the shelves, their effectiveness and possible risks.
Last but not least, still according to the Haute Autorité de Santé, doctors will be in charge of vaccinating patients, so will nurses and pharmacists.
