Covid-19 Vaccination: In What Cases Should One Get Vaccinated?
The next Covid-19 vaccination campaign will be launched in France from October 2, 2023. We will explain in which cases it is recommended to get vaccinated and how to obtain a booster dose to be protected against severe forms of the disease.
1- From when can we get vaccinated?
The Covid-19 vaccination campaign, initially announced to start on October 17th in France, has been moved forward by 15 days due to the increase in the number of cases and the emergence of new sub-variants.
Therefore, it will be possible to get vaccinated against severe forms of Covid starting from Monday, October 2nd, 2023.
The Ministry of Health specifies that vaccines are available in sufficient quantities and that they are effective against the original strain of the virus and other variants, including the sub-variant currently circulating the most in France.
2- Is it really useful to get vaccinated?
After receiving three or four doses of the Covid vaccine, you may think that you no longer need to be vaccinated against this disease... In reality, this type of vaccine does not provide long-lasting protection like the tetanus vaccine, for example.
It is more similar to the flu vaccine that needs to be administered to vulnerable individuals every autumn to protect them throughout the winter.
Similarly, Covid-19 vaccination helps to reactivate immunity and increase antibody levels by 30 times in order to provide protection against severe forms of the disease, hospitalizations, and deaths for a period of 3 months.
3- When should one get vaccinated?
As the Covid virus starts circulating again, a booster dose is recommended for individuals at highest risk of developing a severe form, namely:
• individuals aged 65 and older, even if they are in good health.
• individuals with comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, heart, lung, liver or kidney problems, cancer, and complicated high blood pressure.
• immunocompromised individuals.
• pregnant women.
• individuals residing in nursing homes or long-term care units.
Furthermore, vaccination against Covid-19 is also recommended for all individuals who have regular contact with high-risk patients (immunocompromised or vulnerable). This recommendation includes healthcare professionals and those in the medical-social sector.
Please note: even if you are not part of the priority populations listed above, you can still get vaccinated against Covid for free if you wish.
To receive a booster dose, you simply need to wait at least 6 months after your last vaccination against Covid or after your last infection (i.e., after the date of the positive test).
For individuals over 80 years old and residents of nursing homes, it is sufficient that the last vaccination or infection occurred 3 months ago.
4- Where can we get vaccinated?
Many healthcare professionals are participating in the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
To receive your booster dose, you can go to the following locations starting from October 2nd:
• at your general practitioner or specialist's office;
• at a pharmacy;
• at a nursing office;
• at a midwife's office;
• within hospital services.
If you are unable to travel, note that some of these healthcare professionals are willing to come to your home to administer the vaccine.
To find a healthcare professional near you, you can consult the interactive map on the sante.fr website (link below).
5- Can we receive the flu vaccine at the same time?
The flu vaccination will start in France from October 17, 2023. From this date, it will be possible for you to get vaccinated against both Covid-19 and the flu at the same time.
Receiving two vaccines on the same day does not pose a problem and allows for time-saving, for both you and healthcare personnel. Rest assured: in this case, the side effects are not "doubled" and you will not be more tired with two vaccines than with one!
It is recommended to receive one vaccine in each arm to limit discomfort at the injection site. However, in case of contraindication (for example, in women who have undergone breast cancer surgery with removal of the lymph nodes), there is no danger in receiving both vaccines in the same arm.
