Acceleration of vaccination: Véran, in his boots perched

No mea culpa, even less an admission of failure or self-criticism. Asked Tuesday about the vaccination strategy by the Social Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, Olivier Véran remained straight in his boots. “We don’t sail by sight”, Certified the Minister of Health to the deputies, Tuesday, January 12, criticized for weeks for the logistical disorder, the administrative burden and the global wavering of the deployment policy. “Our strategy has not changed, the priorities no longer exist, the timetable has however been acceleratedHe half conceded. According to him, the goal is still as “clair“: Vaccinate”more than a million French at the end of January“, Then open it”in priority“To some 15 million people who”constitute the most fragile public with regard to the viral riskBy summer.

What the Minister was careful not to recall is that “phase 1” of a million vaccinated has been completely rethought – not by the quantity targeted, but concerning the profile of the beneficiaries. As announced on December 3 by the Prime Minister, the first doses at the beginning of the year should initially concern residents of institutions for the elderly and professionals at risk of these structures. Except that the installation of the device floundered. “The establishment federations have asked us for a little time», «the holiday season was not right“, Justified Olivier Véran. One of the priority issues in this vaccination campaign is membership»He insisted. Nothing would be worse than to intervene in an nursing home where the spirits are not prepared and to vaccinate only 20 or 30% of the residents.»

Faced with these difficulties in nursing homes, and in the hope of fulfilling this first quantified objective despite everything, the government has resolved to “accelerate, amplify and simplify vaccination procedures”(And therefore rectify its strategy, whatever the Minister may say). From December 31, vaccination was suddenly extended to caregivers over 50 (a step yet scheduled for the end of February). And from Thursday, January 14, people aged 75 and living at home will also be able to make an appointment at one of the general public vaccination centers (announced at number of 300 for the end of this week, the government wants to open 700 in full). “Everyone can understand everyone will not be vaccinated the day after the centers open to this public, I think we must be clear enough“, Emphasized Olivier Véran. This essential step will be spread over several weeks. Nothing would be worse than a vaccine rush. ” French people under the age of 75 who suffer from pathologies that make them more vulnerable to Covid, should also see their access to vaccination open quickly. “Professor Alain Fischer is finalizing the list of these diseasesSaid Olivier Véran, without specifying any timetable.

According to the Directorate General of Health, “more than 138,000 peopleHad been vaccinated in France on January 11. Communicated on Monday, this data had never been made public until then: We had to wait for the salutary rant of Guillaume Rozie, founder of the Covid Tracker Twitter account (the only one who received the vaccination figures from the ministerial cabinet) so that the press service officially communicated for the first time a few hours later. With guts in front of the deputies, Olivier Véran expressed his desire that these figures be published daily “at 7:30 p.m. at the latest»And in detail. “I want it to be open-access and it’s completely naturalHe said, ignoring any controversy on the subject.

To demonstrate his good faith and his “great desire for transparency“, The Minister also took the time to inventory the vaccine stocks for France. Regarding Pfizer, “last Wednesday in France we had one million eighty thousand doses of vaccine”He indicated, specifying that the country is currently supplied to the tune of 500,000 doses per week. For Moderna, the first 50,000 doses arrived Monday January 11 and will be primarily intended for “municipalities facing an outbreak of epidemics»He said – mainly in the regions of eastern France. Regarding the reserve of equipment, Olivier Véran brushed aside the accusations of failure, arguing that 3.3 million needles and 4.6 million syringes are currently in stocks. “At the start of the week, 850,000 needles and 600,000 syringes are destined for the territories.»Said the minister. The appearance always so serene to try to convince. “All the conditions are met, I say it again.»