Vaccine against Covid-19: “If the government does not anticipate, we risk a collapse”



[ad_1]

Vaccines like drugs are his hobby. Former chair of the Commission for Clinical Trials at the Medicines Agency (1994-2008), a pharmacologist with a cap from the University of Bordeaux, Professor Bernard Bégaud assures us that the government cannot miss the boat of communication on vaccination.

90% then 92%, 94.5%, 95%… What do these announcements inspire you about the effectiveness of a vaccine?

BERNARD BÉGAUD. Joy is fabulous proof of the vitality of research. And a lot of caution. The oversupply cannot make us forget that essential data is lacking: how are vaccines tolerated? What is their protection period? It is not the same whether he is three months or ten years old. We must now go beyond the communication war waged by the industrialists, mainly for financial and stock market reasons, to return to the words of the public authorities. The referee must be the health authorities, but they are too far behind. Consequence: The Internet takes on this function.

What’s the risk?

Having omnipresent workshops on one side of the stage. And on the other, an increase in anti-vaccine and conspiratorial power on social networks, with no public speaking in between. It’s not healthy. The vaccination challenge is enormous for the government, which will play its game: either everything is fine and it is a historic success, or it is not anticipated and there is a risk of collapse.

How to anticipate?

Communication will be essential. We must not repeat the mistake made on the masks and be in total transparency. And above all not to reproduce the 2009 nonsense about the H1N1 vaccination that damaged the confidence of the French. Communicating is a serious matter, the government must consult experts, sociologists, general practitioners and not just its advisers, at the risk of going straight against the wall. One of the songs, as it was done in 2016 (Editor’s note: rethink vaccine policy), is to immediately establish a citizens’ consultation representative of French diversity. It is very important to involve citizens.

Otherwise they will not be vaccinated?

France is the country in the world where distrust of vaccines is strongest, even though anti-vaccine movements are much better organized and benefit from greater political support in the United States. This is to say if there is work to reassure. We need to start now.

Another problem – if the Pfizer vaccine goes all the way – will be keeping the doses at -70 degrees or even -80 degrees …

We use these super freezers in my workshop in Bordeaux. It stores biological samples, such as blood which must be stored for several years for toxicological analysis. There are very few in France because they are very specific, extremely expensive, at least between 10 and 15,000 euros, but it can go beyond that. Developing them on the territory will not be an easy task. It’s a bit like using a tractor to get bread. This too needs to be studied closely.

[ad_2]
Source link