Paris (AFP)
The bar of one million patients vaccinated against influenza in pharmacy has been crossed, said Tuesday the Federation of Community Pharmacists (FSPF) in a first assessment of this new opportunity offered to patients.
"A quarter of French already vaccinated have been by their pharmacist", welcomed the FSPF in a statement.
"The 2019 vaccination campaign, which began on October 15, has already exceeded one million patients vaccinated by their pharmacist out of a total of almost 4 million doses delivered (...) on November 1", added the FSPF.
"This campaign, marked by the generalization of the possibility of being vaccinated in pharmacy, is already announced as a great success," she said.
After two years of experimentation in four test regions, the possibility of being vaccinated against influenza in pharmacies has been generalized this year.
Each year, this viral disease affects 2 to 6 million people, leads to tens of thousands of emergency room visits and makes 10,000 deaths on average.
The vaccination campaign is aimed primarily at people who are vulnerable to the virus: over 65, people suffering from a chronic illness (diabetes, heart or respiratory insufficiency ...) or severe obesity and pregnant women, more than 13 million people according to the health authorities.
All eligible adults can withdraw the vaccine at the pharmacy "on presentation of their health insurance voucher" and be vaccinated at the choice of a doctor, a nurse, a midwife or a volunteer pharmacist.
© 2019 AFP