The influenza vaccination campaign will begin "on October 13"

Vaccination against influenza in Corsica (illustrative image).

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The flu vaccination campaign will begin “on October 13,” Olivier Véran said on Thursday.

The Minister of Health underlined its increased importance, this year, for “vulnerable groups” and caregivers, so as not to overload hospitals faced with the Covid-19 epidemic.

"We must be extremely careful with the vaccination of vulnerable groups and caregivers," he told the Senate commission of inquiry into the health management of the Covid-19 epidemic.

The minister acknowledged that the too low vaccination rate among health professionals was a “real issue”.

30% of additional vaccine doses planned

Many voices, including the National Academy of Medicine, have demanded that the influenza vaccine be made compulsory for healthcare workers, to reduce the risk of saturation of hospital services by the addition of cases of severe influenza to cases of Covid-19.

"The obligation would pass, I think, by law, I am not even sure that if we wanted to do it, we would have the time within the allotted time", answered Olivier Véran.

"For the first time, in addition to orders from pharmacies, we have secured state orders and we have 30% more vaccine doses than in previous years," he said, however.

He also explained that "the conclusions of the flu episode in the southern hemisphere" could give hope for an epidemic later than the other years and less virulent, thanks in particular to the increased practice of barrier gestures due to the epidemic of Covid-19.

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