Disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm of healthcare workers for vaccination against Covid-19, Emmanuel Macron and his government are now considering making the vaccine compulsory among these professionals.
The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, will submit to a final educational exercise on Friday, before possible measures of firmness.
The vaccination of caregivers against Covid-19 is considered too disappointing, so much so that at the top of the State, we are now wondering about the establishment of compulsory vaccination for these personnel.
The subject was discussed during recent meetings at the Elysee Palace, and mentioned Thursday evening by Olivier Véran and Jean Castex during the press conference.
Several sources suggest that the heart of the President of the Republic no longer balances on this issue: compulsory vaccination of caregivers is currently on the table, and could become a reality.
The reason is simple: how can we explain to the French that some refrigerators are full of vaccines reserved for medical personnel, even when other categories of the population lack them?
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"Only 1 in 3 caregivers is vaccinated, it is not normal", lamented Thursday evening the Prime Minister, Jean Castex.
According to the figures presented, around 40% of nursing home staff and 30% of caregivers, in town and in hospitals, have been vaccinated.
At the Ministry of Health, we noted the mistrust that had settled on the AstraZeneca vaccine and its possible side effects, but "the time for reluctance is behind us", believes Olivier Véran.
The Minister of Health will send a letter to caregivers this Friday to thank them for their commitment and urge them to be vaccinated.
Last educational effort before a stronger method.
Because the Minister of Health does not exclude a referral to the National Consultative Ethics Council on the subject, which would mark a first step towards the possible establishment of a vaccination obligation for caregivers.
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"I'm not anti-vaccine at all, but ..."
On the side of the main stakeholders, there is no lack of arguments to explain this reluctance: fear of side effects, lack of perspective on the vaccine, possibility of transmitting the disease even after vaccination ... So many uncertainties that feed hesitation, such as those of Valérie, nurse in an Ehpad in Mayenne, who has chosen not to be vaccinated for the moment.
She does not understand this "pressure" from the government.
"I am not at all anti-vaccine, I have all my vaccines up to date, but I say that with this vaccine, we have no hindsight," she explains to Europe 1. "I do not do not know what will be, in ten or fifteen years, the effects on our health, on our immune system. I prefer, too bad, to play a coin toss and maybe risk my life. "
In her eyes, the government's vaccine policy also lacks clarity, which she believes shows a lack of knowledge of the products and their effects.
"A lot of things raise questions," continues Valérie.
"With the Pfizer vaccine, we were told that the second dose would be given after three weeks. And then, since there are not enough doses, we postponed to six weeks. If at six weeks the effects are still the same as at the end of three weeks, why not have implemented this period from the start? "asks this nurse.
"For me, constantly changing my mind undermines the vaccine enormously."