The booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine “is a very important asset” for the people who benefit from it, assured on Franceinfo Tuesday, November 23, Alain Fischer, president of the orientation council of the vaccine strategy. “We are certainly moving towards a gradual generalization of this reminder” those under 50, he explained. “VSThis recall will help limit the transmission of the virus. “ The recall campaign opens to people over 50 in France from December 1.
franceinfo: What is the decision to gradually open the vaccination booster to younger French people?
Alain Fischer: Vaccination is the main weapon at our disposal to limit the scale of the epidemic, hospitalizations, deaths and the fact that the health system, which has already given a lot, is still suffering from this epidemic. It is by far the best weapon, associated of course with respect for barrier gestures. We are experiencing a fifth wave in a climatic context that favors it. It is first of all absolutely necessary to continue the primary vaccination effort, since still 6 million French people have not received any vaccine at all. Then, we must continue the recall effort for the elderly and the sick. Finally, we must gradually extend this reminder to younger people because it allows a double action: on the one hand, to protect them on an individual scale against serious forms of the disease and on the other hand to limit the circulation of the virus, therefore, indirectly, to protect the most vulnerable people.
Today, is there anything preventing access to this booster dose to those under the age of 50?
A certain time interval must be observed after the first injection for the effect of the booster to occur. (…) But it is clear that we are certainly heading towards a gradual generalization of recall. There is no counter-indiction, we can reassure our fellow citizens. On the one hand, in the countries which started the recalls before us, such as Israel, we do not observe any particular adverse effects even if there are of course, as after the primary vaccination, cases of influenza syndromes. immediate. On the other hand, important information has also been gathered from Israeli data, at least in the short term: the booster is also very effective in protecting against infection and severe forms of the disease. It is therefore a very important asset for the people who will receive this reminder, the fragile people as well as the less fragile, because no one is completely safe from a serious form.
Would a recall also make it possible to curb the surge in cases we are witnessing?
We do not yet have very precise data on the effect of the booster, but everything suggests that it will have a benefit, since there is a very good correlation between the prevention of transmission and the neutralizing antibodies induced by the vaccination. The more antibodies we have, the less virus we have in our throat and nose and the less risk we have of transmitting it. It is very likely, even if we do not have absolute proof, that this booster will limit the transmission of the virus.