The delegate of the Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, judged “crazy” this Thursday, July 31, that only 20% of the hospital nursing staff are vaccinated against the flu, urging health professionals in France to “show the example.”
“In the land of the shepherd, in the land of the lights, it is still crazy that only 20% of the caregivers are vaccinated” against the seasonal flu, he estimated in Franceinfo. “I think we have a problem with vaccination and that there is a lot of need to do pedagogy.”
“The pathologies return in force,” he said, citing examples of the recent measles epidemic in Morocco or the “more than 60 deaths” of meningitis identified in France.
“So I think we have a public health message, even more when you are a caregiver,” he added.
“Give an example”
The minister calls “all the health professionals of France, either in a public and private hospital, in a medical-social establishment, to set an example and vaccinate (…) because when he is patient, it is still quite reassuring to see that his health professional has vaccinated.”
Regarding vaccination against the flu of the elderly residing in EHPAD, which the Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin wishes to make mandatory, Yannick Neuder indicated that it was part “of the subjects who are under discussion” while seeming to issue certain reservations.
“The vaccination rate of patients in nursing homes is already important, it is around 85 %, so I am not sure that there is a great gain,” he said. “In any case, it is strongly recommended (…) we know very well that patients in nursing homes are often older patients with significant comorbidity and, above all, a life in the community, we know that this is where we combine all risks.”
Source: BFM TV
