It’s a ritual. But this year, it is part of a particular context. The flu vaccination campaign starts on Friday, October 22, as the Covid-19 epidemic starts to rise again slightly in the country. The authorities want to take advantage of this deadline to give the booster dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to eligible people. Who is concerned ? Is the flu actively circulating? Where to make an appointment? Can the two vaccines really be given at the same time? Overview of the six questions that arise on this new campaign.
Who is concerned ?
The flu vaccination is first reserved for people targeted by the vaccine recommendations during the first weeks of the campaign, which was brought forward by four days, from October 22 to November 22, 2021, specifies the Directorate General of Health in an urgent note sent on Monday doctors, pharmacists and nurses.
Those over 65 are concerned, but also people suffering from certain chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, heart failure, AIDS, etc.), pregnant women and obese people. The entourage of infants under six months of age and immunocompromised people as well as health professionals are also a priority for getting vaccinated against the flu. The complete list can be viewed on the service-public.fr website. The non-priority public will have to wait until November 22. People under 18 must have a medical prescription prior to vaccination.
Where to get vaccinated?
In nursing homes and health establishments, vaccination started on October 18. As regards the vaccination of “city” (for the independent people), more than 15 million vouchers were sent by the health insurance and the MSA (agricultural social security) to the people concerned. With this document, they can obtain their vaccine at a pharmacy, then make an appointment with a health professional.
The vaccine can be administered by doctors, nurses, midwives (for pregnant women and those close to infants at risk) and volunteer pharmacists.
Is the vaccine free?
For people at risk, the flu vaccine is covered 100% by Medicare. It is also for thefamily circles for infants at risk of severe influenza and home help for vulnerable employers. For other insured persons, on the other hand, it is not reimbursed by social security. It takes between 9.50 and 26 euros depending on the type of product, figure The Parisian, recalling that the injection was capped at 6.30 euros in pharmacies.
Can it be given at the same time as the booster for Covid-19?
Yes. It is for this reason that the vaccination campaign was brought forward, in order to avoid “the risk of co-infection and the development of severe forms and death”. People at risk can be injected with a booster dose of the anti-Covid vaccine since the beginning of September, provided they have had a complete vaccination schedule for six months. And they are the same as people vulnerable to severe flu, said Jérôme Salomon, the director general of health, Thursday at a press conference.
Concretely, it is therefore possible – and even encouraged – to receive a dose of influenza vaccine in one arm and a dose of anti-Covid vaccine in the other. “There is no reason not to receive the two injections on the same day. (…) It is in the best interest to protect yourself” against Covid-19 and against the flu “to avoid two potential forms of serious pneumonia”, underlined on franceinfo Professor Alain Fischer, president of the Council of orientation of the vaccine strategy.
Does the flu virus circulate a lot?
Since early 2020, “the flu virus has circulated very little, [mais] did not disappear “, summarized Jérôme Salomon. Like every year, it is difficult to know how much the flu will hit the French. It usually affects 2 to 6 million people each year. But last year, in the midst of the second wave of Covid-19, confinements and barrier gestures had avoided an epidemic.
The other side of the coin: the weak circulation of viruses last winter probably reduced the immunity of the population. According to the latest epidemiological bulletin from Public Health France, influenza viruses are not actively circulating in the territory at present. However, the authorities insist on the need to be vaccinated now, to anticipate an epidemic that often starts at the end of December.
Will there be enough flu shots for everyone?
In order to anticipate demand and needs, in a context of health crisis, the government claims to have taken its precautions by ordering more influenza vaccines than last year: 17% of additional doses are available this year.
Are there different influenza vaccines?
This year, three vaccines are available. In all cases, they are inactivated vaccines composed of four strains, called “tetravalent”, indicates the website of the Health Insurance. Vaxigrip Tetra vaccines (from the French laboratory Sanofi) and Influvac Tetra (from the American Mylan) is added this year to Efluelda, a new vaccine from Sanofi.
Overdosed in antigens, Efluelda was designed in particular for people over 65, a population whose immune system is less efficient. However, due to its high cost, this vaccine does not benefit from a specific recommendation from the Haute Autorité de santé. (PDF file). The latter specifies that people over 65 can be vaccinated with Efluelda, Vaxigrip Tetra or Influvac Tetra.