Towards compulsory vaccination in France? For Attal “the question will arise” but later

To stem the Covid-19 epidemic, the mandatory vaccination of the French has been put on the table several times, but the government prefers to remain cautious on this issue for the moment.

© Ludovic MARIN © 2019 AFP
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal on October 28, 2020 in Paris

Will the Covid-19 vaccine be mandatory? The question is regularly raised, and discussed in the Assembly as well as at the top of the state, while no vaccine has yet been officially authorized. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal gave an answer on the horizon in an interview published this Saturday on Sunday Newspaper.

“The question will arise when we know the properties of the vaccines,” the spokesperson said. “We have to integrate the fact that we will have limited hindsight.”

Vaccine candidates still under study

In fact, despite the good results of the candidate vaccines published in the press releases of the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna – effectiveness of their vaccine greater than 90% – it should be borne in mind that the efficacy and safety of a vaccine are generally confirmed. for several years, not a few months. For example, it is difficult to look back at the potential side effects that can occur months after the injection.

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Covid-19: to get vaccinated or not, what the French think

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In Europe, it is the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that decides whether or not to place a treatment on the market. It is currently studying clinical data from Pfizer or AstraZeneca and plans to give its favorable opinion on a first coronavirus vaccine “later this year” for distribution “from January,” its director explained in mid-November.

For the moment “the important thing is to anticipate being ready as soon as the first vaccines arrive. We have contracts under discussion: three signed, at least three others very advanced and others under discussion. With an average of 30 million doses per contract”, explains Gabriel Attal.

“Transparency” to regain the confidence of the French

Various political figures have come out in favor of compulsory vaccination. But doctors and scientists are already warning that there will certainly not be enough doses quickly for everyone and that it is best to target part of the population first. Furthermore, the current distrust of the vaccine could lead to a deep rejection of the French.

“The president was clear on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers: the essential condition for the trust of the French is transparency. It will be our absolute value”, as part of a vaccination campaign, said Gabriel Attal.

But we must first find it. According to an Elabe survey for BFMTV broadcast on Wednesday, only 4 out of 10 French people are currently considering vaccinating themselves against Covid-19, a percentage down 5 points since October 29.