On December 21, the Counterpoints of Health, of which we are partners, welcomed Professor Brigitte Autran, president of the Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks, or “Covars”. The opportunity for her to return to the role and work of this body created last summer.
The Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks (Covars), which began its work last September, replaces the Covid scientific council chaired by Pr Jean-François Delfraissy (1). Why a new committee? How will he work? What are the risks today, how to anticipate them? So many questions posed to Pr Brigitte Autran, president of the bodyduring the Health Counterpoints of the month of December.
Like his predecessor, responsible for clarifying the decisions of the Government, « le Covars is an advisory body », she recalls. In short, therefore, he has no decision-making power. (2).
His role ? Ensure a scientific watchmonitor, predict and model health risksappreciate their consequences “ physical, mental and societal and, if necessary, issue recommendations. And this, in a global health approach (One Health), taking into account the risks associated with infectious agents affecting humans and animals, environmental and food pollutants, as well as climate change.
Polio, HIV, Ebola, sarbecovirus, bird flu
In the sights of this instance: polio, HIV or once more, the virus Ebolaincluding a strain really worrying” and resistant to the vaccine developed in “the years 2015-2016” currently hitting Sudan. Nevertheless, “a new vaccine adapted to this Ebola variant” East “currently in clinical trial”notes Professor Autran, also professor emeritus in immunology at the Faculty of Medicine Sorbonne University.
L’Monkeypox epidemic is also closely scrutinized, although today it is ” very well controlled in France and in all the countries where it continues very low noise in an asymptomatic way », she reassures. In ” retreat »elle stay “restricted to subjects at risk”which “have been well vaccinated”. The president of Covars thus salutes a fine example “ of appropriation of the means of prevention” : « this appropriation by each of us of the risks and the means of prevention, I believe that is the key”.
“Respiratory infections are great risks”, she adds. Beyond Covid-19, sarbecovirusgrouping the coronaviruses linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome including Sars-CoV-1 and Sars-CoV-2, “swarm” among “the bats of the Far East”. About the wild bird flupreviously “seasonal”, she is “permanent today” : the risk of « mutations »of ” influenza virus recombinations » and transmissions to humans is therefore increased.
Vaccination as the best weapon
Faced with these risks, it recommends a human and veterinary medicine as well as a surveillance ANSES/Public Health France more interconnected, for a better correlation of the signals collected. ” Anticipation by vaccination » is also essential, she insists. Including in the face of the rise of pathologies transmitted by mosquitoes. Because if he there is a vaccine once morest denguefor example, there are currently only vaccine candidates once morest the chikungunya and the virus Zika. Research is therefore crucial and messenger RNA vaccines, “ quick-response »offer a number of interesting perspectives.
Finally, there remains the challenge of society’s acceptance of the various possible means of prevention. ” This is a very important field of work in which we began our reflections », exposes the president of Covars. More broadly, it is also societal perception of health risks, the so-called psychosocial risks associated with the accumulation of health risks” which is examined!
(1) Placed under the Minister of Higher Education and Research as well as the Minister of Health and Prevention, the Covars is made up of 18 members from all walks of life: virologists, infectiologists, epidemiologists… It also includes an entomologist, a general practitioner, an emergency doctor, two veterinarians, researchers in the humanities and social sciences, or even representatives of patients and citizens.
(2) England also has a scientific council, the “government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies”, or “Sage”, created at the end of the mad cow health crisis. The other European countries have, to date, rather retained a Covid scientific council.
Find all the debates of the Health Counterpoints (summaries and videos) in our dedicated section!