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Among 60-79 year olds, only 37% are considered protected by vaccination or a previous Covid-19 infection; among those aged 80 and over, 21%, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
HEALTH – Vaccination rates once morest flu and Covid-19 are “insufficient” with the approach of the Christmas holidays, where many population mixes will take place, and once morest a backdrop of deterioration of epidemic indicatorsalerted this Tuesday, November 29 the Ministry of Health.
“There are three weeks of mobilization left before Christmas, it is now that it is played”, said the Ministry of Health and Prevention during a press briefing. Vaccination levels are not today “not enough”he estimated.
On Monday, 2 million people had received a booster shot once morest Covid-19 since the launch of the booster campaign on October 3 with bivalent vaccines. Among them, 1.8 million people have been injected with such vaccines, which target the original strain and the Omicron strain of Covid.
“A very important margin of progress”
By age group, 9.4% of people aged 80 and over received a dose of bivalent vaccine, as well as 7.2% of people aged 60-79. According to the ministry, only 21% of people aged 80 and over and 37% of people aged 60-79 are today “sufficiently protected by the vaccine or a previous infection”.
Regarding the flu, whose vaccination campaign began on October 18, the figures are down 13% compared to last year, with 5 million vaccines reimbursed by health insurance on November 20.
“We have a very significant margin of progress”underlined the Ministry of Health, launching a message of “total mobilization” to all people targeted for vaccination: the over 60s, the immunocompromised, their relatives and health professionals.
People aged 60 whose last infection or last dose was more than 6 months ago — three months for those over 80 — “can and should have a 5th dose”insisted the ministry. “It is crucial to guarantee the protection of the most vulnerable, in a context of the resurgence of Covid, and the appearance of the flu epidemic”he summarized.
Ninth wave?
The Covid-19 epidemic, which experienced a brief lull in France following a wave in early autumn, is starting up once more. On Friday November 25, 48,629 new cases were recorded, compared to 33,177 new cases the previous Friday, an increase of 46%.
The current rebound is already reflected in a “upward recovery in new hospitalizations and critical care admissions”following “four weeks down”, observes Public Health France in its last weekly update. More than 4,500 hospitalizations have been recorded over the past seven days.
“The famous R, the reproduction rate of Covid, has been greater than 1 for several days, which means that the incidence of the number of cases is increasing: we are at the start of a more or less exponential curve”tells AFP Pascal Crépey, epidemiologist at the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health.
“It’s not very surprising because this time of year is the most favorable for virus transmissions”, he adds. In addition, if the total number of hospitalized patients (less than 19,000) remains well below the highest levels observed this year, this recovery risks impacting an already struggling healthcare system.
The hospital is indeed tested by a bronchiolitis outbreak on an unprecedented scale, while the looming seasonal flu raises fears of the impact of a “tripledemia”.
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