The Minister of Health Olivier Véran.

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Poupart Julien-POOL / SIPA

  • "I think we were a little too defensive in the approach to the vaccine, a little too cautious", recognized Olivier Véran on BFMTV Thursday evening.

  • According to the Minister of Health, this French strategy of taking more time on vaccination than in other countries was motivated by this concern to wait for the vaccine to prove its worth.

  • Olivier Véran said he took note of the fact that millions of people have so far been vaccinated "and that things are going very well".

“I think we were a bit too defensive in approaching the vaccine, a bit too cautious.

“In a context of slower start of vaccinations in France than in other European countries and while criticism is raised against the vaccine strategy of the government, Olivier Véran made his mea culpa, Thursday evening, on BFM TV.

. @ olivierveran: "I think we were a little too defensive in approaching the vaccine" pic.twitter.com/nmB1hEvvRI

- BFMTV (@BFMTV) January 7, 2021

To the question "were you afraid of anti-vaccines?"

", The Minister of Health assured that" no, not at all ", rather admitting" the fear of disappointing, perhaps ".

“It is not necessarily because a laboratory tells you that it has found, that it has actually found,” he continues.

Olivier Véran said he took note of the fact that millions of people have so far been vaccinated "and that things are going very well".

“We have more perspective,” he admits.

The health and scientific authorities, who are in essence a little more cautious than me still, are much less so today and tell us that you can be confident now.

"

"This controversy is a stinking ball"

According to the Minister of Health, this French strategy to take more time on vaccination than in other countries was motivated by this concern to wait for the vaccine to prove its worth.

And not in the name of economic protectionism.

This is one of the avenues mentioned by the German press: France would have slowed down the European Union's orders for vaccines with the Pfizer / Biotech [American and German] and Moderna [American] laboratories, to let the time for other laboratories, including the French Sanofi, to finalize their vaccines not yet ready.

“This controversy is a stinking ball, reacts Olivier Véran.

I don't know where it comes from, it doesn't interest me.

This is factually wrong.

The first contract signed by France is for the Astrazeneca vaccine which is English.

"

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