“It is wise to wait for the experience of the United States, on a large scale, to ensure that there are no side effects.“, indicated doctor Olivier Rogeaux, infectious disease specialist at the hospital of Chambéry, this Saturday on franceinfo concerning the vaccination of children. Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health, indeed announced this Saturday on France Inter the opening of the vaccination of children from December 22 “if all goes well” in “centers adapted for children“and after consulting US data based on immunizations of 2 million US children.
For Olivier Rogeaux, that “will help us but don’t get us out of the woods“.”The priority target is to vaccinate as many eligible audiences as possible over the age of 12.” and “to speed up the booster dose for adults“, he insisted.
franceinfo: Opening up vaccination to children as quickly as possible, after consulting American data, is that a good thing?
Olivier Rogeaux : It’s a good thing, but we must as a priority vaccinate children at risk, which we will be able to do now so that they do not develop serious forms and are not hospitalized. Then it is wise to wait for the experience of the United States, on a large scale, to make sure that there are no side effects and to open it up to all children. Finally, it should be understood that what fills our hospitals, it is not the children contaminated by the Covid-19, it is mainly the unvaccinated adults who are hospitalized today. In Chambéry, they represent 70% of patients. The priority target is therefore to vaccinate as many eligible audiences as possible over the age of 12. Children, this will help us but this is not what will get us out of the woods. The priority is to speed up this booster dose for adults.
Do you think we need to go further, on compulsory vaccination?
Only vaccination can get us out of the woods, in part, since vaccination does not work 100%. This means that it is not because we are fully vaccinated that we should not wear the mask. Today, faced with the variants which circulate, it is necessary at the same time the mask, the barrier measures and the vaccination. Going towards compulsory vaccination, why not, the problem is how to get vaccinated for those who have not yet been vaccinated. Unfortunately, we cannot convince them.
The government will also strengthen the vaccination obligation for caregivers and firefighters by making the third dose compulsory on January 30, 2022. Will they adhere to this new obligation, in your opinion?
I think they will adhere to it to the same extent that they have adhered to the two-dose vaccination requirement. We are in a 5th wave which is heavy. The caregivers are seeing the damage currently in the hospital because we are again in difficulty in the hospital services, in particular in intensive care. By talking to my staff, I see that they are motivated for the booster dose so, in my opinion, there will be no difficulty there.