The new anti-Covid vaccine campaign is launched. Starting this Monday, part of the population will be able to receive a booster dose and benefit from new vaccines. But who does this new vaccination affect and with what vaccine? BFMTV.com takes stock.
• Who is concerned?
The fall vaccination campaign is primarily aimed at an older audience. According to the recommendations of the High Health Authority (HAS), the eligible people are, first of all, people over 60 years of age.
As in previous campaigns, the most vulnerable are also targeted. Among them are: residents of residences and long-term care units (USLD), people at risk (immunocompromised subjects, pregnant women, etc.) and professionals from the health and medical-social sector. Family members of frail people can also be vaccinated.
• What deadlines are imposed?
The Ministry of Health specifies that for the most fragile, this booster dose must be injected at least three months after the previous one. Those over 80, residents of Ehpad and USLD, as well as immunosuppressed people are concerned.
For people aged 60 to 80 or close to a frail person, the period increases to six months.
If you have recently contracted the virus, you should also wait at least 3 months before receiving a new booster dose.
• What vaccines are given?
As a special feature of this new campaign, so-called bivalent vaccines will be available for the first time. The specificity of these vaccines is that they allow targeting the Omicron variant, which is the majority today. There are three models (one from the Moderna laboratory and two from the Pfizer laboratory) and all use messenger RNA technology.
Not all patients will receive this type of vaccine, the ministry simply indicates that “booster vaccination will preferably be carried out” with bivalent vaccines.
On the other hand, these new vaccines are used only as booster doses. For people who have not received any Covid vaccine so far, previous generation vaccines will be used.
“The ‘historical’ vaccines are still effective against the virus,” the Ministry of Health also recalls.
• What about the flu shot?
The HAS also advises older people to combine the anti-Covid vaccination with the flu vaccine, recommended every year for those over 60 years of age. His vaccination campaign begins on October 18.
The concomitant requirement of the two vaccines or carried out on the same day is possible, according to the health authority.
Source: BFM TV
