The government, which is responsible for the final decision, usually follows the recommendations of the HAS. The vaccination obligation against Covid-19 has been in force since September 2021.
Unvaccinated carers could soon return to their jobs. The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommends that vaccination against Covid-19 for health professionals should no longer be “compulsory” but only “strongly recommended”, in a notice published on Thursday.
The HAS now recommends that “vaccination against Covid-19 be strongly recommended (…) for students and professionals in the health and medico-social sectors”, in these recommendations published following a referral from the General Directorate of Health.
Government free to follow recommendation
The final decision on whether or not to reinstate suspended personnel rests with the government, which generally follows the recommendations of the High Authority. The Ethics Advisory Council (CCNE) is due to issue an additional opinion on the same subject soon.
“I will follow the advice,” said Minister of Health François Braun on BFMTV in December 2022, while specifying that he was not in favor of reinstatement.
The vaccination obligation for caregivers has been in force since September 2021 and was decided on the recommendation of the HAS. The High Authority specifies however that the opinion delivered this Thursday “in no way constitutes a questioning of its previous opinions and recommendations delivered in different health and epidemic contexts”.
4,000 healthcare professionals were still suspended in November 2022, according to figures put forward by the Fédération hospitalière de France and cited by Release. Among them, “1,050 nurses out of the 300,000” who work in France, François Braun specified on November 20 on RTL.
End of recommended requirement for other vaccines
The opinion issued by the High Authority for Health also recommends that the so-called “DTP” vaccines, which concern dyphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis, should no longer be compulsory for health professionals and students in this field, except in Mayotte where certain populations, in particular 6-16 year olds, show “significant delays in vaccination”, according to Public Health France.
The HAS had also been seized on the question of the vaccination obligation currently in force for certain caregivers against hepatitis B and recommends its maintenance, as well as the addition of an obligation for liberal professionals “likely to be exposed at risk of contamination or exposing the people in their care.
Further advice is due in July regarding other currently recommended vaccines, namely those against whooping cough, influenza, hepatitis A, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.