An injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine (illustrative image).

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Sven Hoppe / AP / SIPA

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health acknowledged that only 25% of the doses of AstraZeneca vaccines received in France have been used.

And this, because of a "problem" of under-consumption of this vaccine against Covid-19 in hospitals.

"On AstraZeneca, there is a situation which is particular: we are Sunday evening with 24-25% of consumption of stocks", against "almost 70%" on average for all the available vaccines, one explained. to the ministry during a weekly point on vaccines.

Strong demand among general practitioners

Of the first 600,000 doses of this vaccine, delivered at the beginning of February to health establishments for caregivers under 65 and at-risk people aged 50 to 64, “we have indeed a subject of consumption, (…) since we realizes that we have about 75% of stocks that have not been injected, ”adds the same source.

On the other hand, its distribution in town to general practitioners from last Thursday, led to a "very strong flow dynamic" the first days, according to the ministry, adding that this consumption should "increase" after the announcement Monday evening by the Minister of Health of the extension of the use of this vaccine to people aged 65 to 75 years with comorbidities.

This extension is based on an opinion from the High Authority for Health (HAS), published Tuesday, which takes into account new studies carried out in the United Kingdom, showing that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing hospitalizations in the elderly.

A new vaccine about to arrive in France

"Now that we have good news on AstraZeneca, it is imperative that this vaccine finds its place in the vaccine strategy", it is estimated at the Ministry of Health, many caregivers have shunned this vaccine, in particular because more pronounced side effects, most often strong flu-like symptoms, in younger people.

Questions have also emerged about the effectiveness of this vaccine in countering the South African variant of the coronavirus.

At the same press briefing, the Ministry of the Economy also clarified that Janssen's vaccine would be delivered from April, while he feared last week that his arrival would be postponed to May.

"We are pushing for it to be from the end of March if possible, in April in any case," says the ministry.

The vaccine candidate of the subsidiary of the American Johnson & Johnson, which has just been authorized in the United States and should be in mid-March in the European Union, has the advantage of requiring only one dose and can be stored at refrigerator temperatures.

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