What would be the 5 priority populations for vaccination against Covid? And the children?

Protect first “The most vulnerable and those who care for them”, this is the line set by the High Authority for Health (HAS), which on Monday 30 November presented its preliminary recommendations for the French vaccination strategy. The start of the vaccination campaign must mark a new stage in the fight against Covid-19 and be part of the new formula “Try, alert, protect, treat”, defined by the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, on 24 November.

1. People residing in Ehpad

One question has been on everyone’s lips since the announcement of the arrival of the first doses in early 2021: who should be vaccinated first? The HA responded by proposing five vaccination phases, the first of which concerns the elderly in nursing homes, or around 750,000 residents. They will have priority, “Given the limited number of doses that will be available at the start of the vaccination campaign”, he clarified. The staff who work in these establishments and who “They are at risk of developing a severe form themselves” du Covid-19, “That is, aged 65 and over and / or with comorbidities”, they will also be priorities, he said. According to his estimate, around 90,000 people are affected. Chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, obesity or even diabetes are among the comorbidities identified by the HAS.

2. Persons over 65 and healthcare professionals

The second phase aims to vaccinate the elderly aged 75 (6.4 million), then those aged 65 to 74 (7.3 million), with in both cases a prioritization of people with “Professionals in the health and socio-medical sector aged 50 or over and / or who have one or more comorbidities regardless of the mode of practice” (1.2 million), the HAS said.

3. Professionals in essential sectors, over 50 with comorbidities

Third, those at risk will be targeted “Due to their age (50-65 years) or their comorbidities”, as well as health professionals “Not previously vaccinated”. This third stage also includes “Professionals in” essential “sectors” is “Essential for the functioning of the country”. It will belong “To the government” define who will be interested.

HAS specified its recommendations “They will have to be updated and adapted based on the data on each vaccine, their actual availability and any tensions about the offer”. The transition from one phase to another would take place “Depending on the availability of doses”, who will come “As things progress”.

In addition, there remains an unknown about the most successful vaccines, which need to be validated by the European Medicines Agency, before marketing authorizations can be obtained. “We know they protect severe forms but we don’t know yet if they protect against contagiousness”, explained the president of HAS, Dominique Le Guludec. Data likely to change the Authority’s requirements.

4. All people vulnerable and at risk

The last two stages continue the enlargement and should lead to vaccination “Of all vulnerable and at risk people” with, in a fourth phase, the inclusion of “Professionals whose work environment favors infection (regular contact with the public, closed environment, etc.)” (About 1.2 million) e “Vulnerable or insecure people with a less favorable prognosis in case of infection (residents in a psychiatric hospital, homeless, inmates, etc.)” (About 550,000). “Professionals who care for vulnerable people, including social workers, not previously vaccinated because of their age or co-morbidities”, it will also suffer.

5. If necessary and if possible, adults, even without comorbidities

Finally, the fifth phase could restart the vaccination of people over 18 and without comorbidities “Provided that the vaccine dose allocations were sufficient to vaccinate each of the priority populations.”

The HAS is not in favor of compulsory vaccination and counts “Membership” Population. A subscription that remains to be conquered, knowing that only 41% of French people intend to be vaccinated, according to a recent Ifop survey for the Sunday newspaper. This could be the real first step of the next vaccination campaign, the continuity of which also depends on its success.