Is France heading towards another and fourth dose of vaccine to fight Covid-19? This Monday December 27, 2021, the government gathered for a new health defense council to curb the 5th wave and stop the new contamination toll currently skyrocketing in the country because of the Omicron variant. The executive decided on cutting the time period for the booster shot down to 3 months, as recommended by the Haute Autorité de Santé.
But as many French people still do not have received their 3rd dose of vaccine, Israelis are taking the lead and launch a clinical trial for a fourth dose. What about France? This 4th dose of vaccine is a “possibility”, Olivier Véran acknowledged this December 27 during the press brief. “This issue will come in time [but] not now”, the minister added, specifying: “we do not have enough distance on the effectiveness length, […] we will see what it is about”, referring to the Israeli situation.
“It is likely we happen to need a fourth dose at some point”, estimated Scientific Committee chairman Jean-François Delfraissy this past December 8 at the Senate. “For now, it is a booster, but perhaps will we need a fourth, I do not know. I don’t know how long the booster will last. […] In a crisis of this kind, we need to say everything we know, put it on the table so we can share what we know or don’t. so, it is possible we eventually need a fourth dose, to boost, and when, I don’t know yet”, Pr. Delfraissy said, adding it is “also likely the booster be so important that it lasts over time”.
