After weeks of procrastination, the government finally resolved to reconfine Île-de-France, on March 19 at midnight, for a minimum period of four weeks, in order to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. . 

A decision with serious consequences since the region alone represents nearly a fifth of the French population and 30% of the country's economy.   

However, while the government said it was in a race against time by betting on the arrival of vaccines, the vaccination campaign in Île-de-France has had a timid start since its launch on December 27, 2020. Very affected by Covid-19, the region has, according to the latest figures, only 7% of inhabitants vaccinated, the lowest proportion in metropolitan France, far behind departments such as the Alpes Maritimes (11.7%) or the Moselle (11.85%).  

In the field, several elected officials are worried about a progression that they consider too low and call for adapting the measures by opening up, in particular vaccination to those under 60 years old.  

A demographic issue  

If the proportion of vaccinated in Île-de-France is lower, it is above all because of demographic factors.

The region is both the most populous and the youngest (79.5% under the age of 60 compared to a national average of 73%).

With 860,000 people having received a first dose, Île-de-France is also the region with by far the largest number of people vaccinated in France.

However, compared to its population, the figure remains low and more than 9 million of the 12 million inhabitants do not have access to vaccination because they are too young.   

“Many people over 75 have already been vaccinated.

In addition, they remain more confined, and as such are more protected than the assets of less than 65 years ”, estimates the PCF mayor of Stains, in Seine-Saint-Denis, Azzédine Taïb, contacted by France 24.“ The government tells us that the doses are coming, so we have to speed up the vaccination campaign and open it up to a younger audience, because their number is increasing sharply in intensive care units, ”he said.  

 Vaccinate those under 60  

The mayor of Stains is not the only one to wish to expand the vaccination campaign, which until now has been reserved primarily for those over 75 and those at risk.

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, called on Sunday to “unleash vaccination” as vaccine deliveries accelerate.   

The mayor of Saint-Denis, Mathieu Hannotin, as well as the president of the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, Stéphane Troussel, are also moving in this direction.

“While more than 50% of people over 75 have been vaccinated in Seine-Saint-Denis, according to official data, we call, together, to open vaccination to new audiences.

First to lower the pressure on the hospital system and reduce serious forms, but also to break the chains of contamination in the working population, particularly on the front line in Seine-Saint-Denis "they explain in a joint press release on the 19th. March.   

With an incidence rate of over 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, Seine-Saint-Denis is the French department which is currently experiencing the strongest progression of the epidemic.  

“The incidence rate, like the population density, are factors to be taken into account in a vaccination campaign”, recognizes Professor Jean-Daniel Lelièvre, head of the infectious diseases department at Henri-Mondor Hospital in Créteil. and vaccine expert at the HAS (Haute Autorité de santé), contacted by France 24. “Nevertheless, the studies are very clear: age remains the major risk factor and you have to be very careful when you want to change the strategy .

Of course, we should not wait to have vaccinated 100% of people at risk to expand the campaign, but the difficulty is knowing when to move from one phase to another.

Today, it is unthinkable for me to vaccinate young and perfectly healthy people, while I still have between 800 and 900 transplanted people in my services, for whom Covid-19 is much more dangerous, ”he concludes.  

Asked Sunday about the possibility of opening vaccination to as many people as possible, government spokesman Gabriel Attal firmly rejected this hypothesis, deeming it “irresponsible in terms of health and“ unfair ”to vulnerable people.   

Disparity of means   

Finally, in addition to the demographic question, the vaccination campaign in Île-de-France comes up against the great disparity of resources between the departments.

While Anne Hidalgo says she is ready to open more widely the 24 Parisian vaccination centers if the supply of doses requires it, some cities, poorer, still lack infrastructure. 

"The number of vaccination centers in Seine-Saint-Denis remains very insufficient", deplores Azzédine Taïb.

“For several months we have been asking the government for a vaccination center in our town.

It was supposed to open in February but we are still waiting.

In our department, 19 towns do not have a center, ie almost half. ” 

To address these shortcomings, the department and the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency wish to open, at the beginning of April, a large vaccination center at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

A “vaccinodrome” which will be able to accommodate several thousand people each week.

While he welcomes this progress, the mayor of Stains believes that it will not solve the heart of the problem.

“In Seine-Saint-Denis, we have a lot of fragile people for whom it is difficult to travel to be vaccinated, even in nearby towns.

In addition, the feeling of mistrust remains strong vis-à-vis vaccines and local centers have an essential role to play that cannot be overcome by a regional center.

In my opinion, the current health strategy is not suited to our situation. ” 

According to the latest figures from Public Health France, 88,000 inhabitants of Seine-Saint-Denis received a first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 there, or only 5.5% of the population, against 10% in the capital.   

This lag is all the more important given that, according to the prefecture, Seine-Saint-Denis has benefited from a greater vaccine endowment than other Ile-de-France departments, due to the "high" incidence and "socio-economic criteria. economic benefits of its population ". 

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