Vaccination: Aurélien Rousseau and Agnès Firmin Le Bodo remind us that all health professionals are mobilized to ensure vaccination for as many people as possible

2023-12-13 16:26:26

While France has exceeded 10 million vaccinations against flu and 5 million vaccinations against Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Health Insurance and Public Health France reiterate their message of prevention and encouraging vaccination, particularly as the end-of-year holidays approach, periods conducive to the transmission of winter viruses. They remind health professionals of the need to vaccinate priority populations against seasonal flu and Covid-19.

Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the risk of serious forms of these diseases, and on average, 2,000 lives are saved each year in France among those aged 65 and over thanks to influenza vaccination.

Minister Aurélien Rousseau and Minister Delegate Agnès Firmin Le Bodo spoke this Wednesday, December 13 with pharmacists and preparers from a Parisian pharmacy involved in the vaccination campaign, and thanked them for their mobilization in this campaign ( 95% of injections are now carried out in cities). They recalled the key role of health professionals in transmitting information to patients.

Update on the 2023-2024 vaccination campaign

The flu vaccination campaign began on October 17, two weeks after that against Covid-19. This year, the Ministry of Health and Prevention launched a double vaccination campaign for the first time. He invites everyone concerned to be vaccinated against the two viruses, to reduce the risk of serious forms of these diseases. In total, more than 16.5 million people were invited to be vaccinated against the flu and Covid-19. 10 million doses against the flu were injected, and 5 million against Covid-19.

A mobilization of all stakeholders to protect the most vulnerable

Information on the importance of vaccinating those most vulnerable to seasonal flu and Covid-19 continues to ensure their protection. The Ministry of Health and Prevention, with the support of regional health agencies and health insurance funds, relayed messages last week to health actors calling for national mobilization to protect the most vulnerable thanks to vaccination and barrier gestures. Furthermore, the Health Insurance awareness campaign “Don’t choose, get vaccinated against the flu AND against Covid-19” continues to be deployed (internet, radio, press, posters) after wide distribution to the television this fall.

Who is concerned ?

Vaccinations against influenza and Covid-19 are strongly recommended for people at risk of developing a serious form of these diseases:

All people aged 65 and over;
People over 6 months old with comorbidities (complicated blood pressure, heart, vascular, liver, kidney, lung problems, diabetes, obesity, cancers, transplant recipients, people with Down syndrome or psychiatric disorders or dementia);
Immunocompromised people;
Pregnant women ;
People living in close proximity to or in regular contact with immunocompromised or vulnerable people, including professionals in the health and medico-social sectors;
Residents in accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people (EHPAD) and long-term care units (USLD).

In practice: how does this work?

For the flu, vaccination is annual

The people targeted above received an invitation letter at their home with a voucher for 100% vaccination coverage sent by Health Insurance. The vaccine is delivered free of charge in pharmacies upon presentation of the voucher. It can then be carried out by the professional of their choice: pharmacist, doctor, midwife, nurse.
This year, this voucher for flu vaccination is accompanied by an invitation to also be vaccinated against Covid-19.
For eligible people who have not received a care voucher, a voucher can be issued to them by their doctor or midwife, regardless of age (children and adults) or also by their pharmacist or nurse for people aged 11 and over.

For Covid-19, it is bi-annual

Vaccination against Covid-19 is free and possible from the age of 6 months.
The time period to be respected between two doses of vaccine against Covid-19 or between a Covid-19 infection and a dose of vaccine is 6 months.
For immunocompromised people, this period is reduced to 3 months since the last injection or infection.
You can be vaccinated at your doctor, in a pharmacy, in a nurse’s office, in a midwife’s office or in the hospital departments in which you are being treated.
To do this, you can make an appointment online on the appointment booking platforms or contact your health professional to obtain an appointment, specifying that it is a vaccination against Covid -19.

The 2 injections (flu and Covid-19) can be performed on the same day, on 2 separate injection sites (the 2 arms for example). If the two vaccines are not administered at the same time, there is no time limit between the two vaccinations.

In accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people in EHPADs, such as in long-term care units (USLD), vaccination campaigns against influenza and against Covid-19 are organized by the establishment.

Barrier gestures, an essential reflex complementary to vaccination

In addition to vaccination, simple actions can help combat the transmission of influenza, Covid-19 and winter viruses:

We systematically wear a mask when we have symptoms (cough, fever, sore throat), but also in public transport, other busy places and places of care, if we are at risk of developing serious illnesses or in the presence of these people, whether you have symptoms or not.
We regularly ventilate our home.
We wash our hands frequently.

For more information :

Find all the information on vaccination locations on the Santé.fr website.

Find indicators relating to seasonal flu and Covid-19 in the latest national bulletin from Public Health France.

Contact presse :

Ministry of Health and Prevention

Cabinet of M. Aurélien Rousseau

Tel: 01 40 56 60 60

Mail: Mail: [email protected]

Delegate Ministry in charge of Territorial Organization and Health Professions

Office of Mrs. Agnès Firmin Le Bodo

Service communication et presse

Tel: 01 40 56 84 86

Mail: Mail: [email protected]

General Directorate of Health:

Mail: Mail: [email protected]

Tel: 01 40 56 84 00

National Health Insurance Fund

Mail: Mail: [email protected]