A slight rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic led the French government to announce this Saturday (12) that it will apply the fourth dose of the vaccine “to those over 80 who received the booster for more than three months”. The additional dose will start to be given on Monday (14).
In an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien, the French prime minister, Jean Castex, said that the mutation BA.2 of the omicron could be behind the “peak of the epidemic”.
“It’s more transmissible than the initial micron, but it doesn’t look any more dangerous,” he said, attributing his insight to the fact that hospital admission rates continue to decline.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) also reported that the BA.2 variant of the omicron strain of the coronavirus is no more severe than the original.
According to Castex, the recommendation of the fourth dose for those over 80 years old occurs because these people received the booster dose more than three months ago, and face a progressive loss of immunity.
In Brazil, researchers have warned that the six-month milestone in which the first booster doses were given to the elderly is approaching and that the issue of the fourth dose must be discussed.
In the interview, the French prime minister also recommended those who “are fragile, due to age or pathologies, to continue wearing masks indoors and in large gatherings”.
Castex ruled out, however, a “change in strategy” in the easing measures. On Monday (14), France will no longer require the vaccination passport in public spaces such as cinemas or restaurants.
However, you will still need a similar pass to go to a hospital or nursing home. The intention is to continue protecting the most vulnerable.
Face masks will continue to be required on public transport, but no longer in schools and at work.
France has now recorded more than 23 million cases of Covid-19, of which more than 140,000 have resulted in deaths.
