Nearly 300 mayors signed a column published Tuesday in Le Figaro, in which they declared themselves ready to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to overcome the many reluctance.

Karl Olive, the mayor of Poissy, in the Yvelines, at the initiative of the text, explains his approach Wednesday on Europe 1.

INTERVIEW

The coronavirus vaccination campaign is starting extremely slowly in France, and this is misunderstanding many.

Tuesday, nearly 300 mayors signed a column in

Le Figaro

to explain that they were ready to be vaccinated to set an example and try to convince people skeptical about the arrival of the vaccine.

"I believe in the strength of the symbol and this is the approach we have undertaken with some 300 colleagues from France", explained on Europe 1 on Wednesday the mayor (DVD) of Poissy, in Yvelines, at the origin of the text.

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The former journalist brushes aside the idea that this initiative could give the impression that elected officials are privileged.

"There are living forces who are ready to help. It is not a matter of communication. We will wait our turn if necessary", assures Karl Olive.

By showing that mayors want to be vaccinated, the aim is to restore confidence within the population, including the elderly.

"There is no question of taking the place of patients in nursing homes. On the contrary, the idea is precisely to fight against that."

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan?

"He would need a vaccine for himself"

And the elected representative is ulcerated by the idea, relayed by some, that the residents of nursing homes would be the subject of an experiment.

"My wife is the director of nursing home. I am amazed and very angry to say that we take the residents - they are 700,000 - for guinea pigs. But what does that mean?" mayor, slipping a spade to Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, who defends this theory: "Him, it would take a vaccine for him alone."

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Based on the example of 2009, when very few French people had chosen to be vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza when the government had ordered more than 90 million doses, the government chose to rely on treating doctors for the vaccination campaign.

Bad idea, according to Karl Olive.

"I have an appointment next week with the prefect and with the ARS to tell them that when the time comes, by pressing a button, we are ready in 24 hours" to open vaccination centers, assures the mayor of Poissy.

"You know, it's only idiots who don't change their mind."