France promises to accelerate vaccination rollout amid criticism

Under fire for a glacially slow rollout of coronavirus vaccine shots, France’s government pledged on Thursday to pick up the pace with quicker inoculation to a broader array of health care workers starting next week.

President Emmanuel Macron also intervened in what was becoming an increasingly sharp debate about the slow start of vaccinations against the virus in his country.

Mr Macron used his traditional New Year’s address to the nation to promise that he will personally ensure there is no unnecessary heel-dragging.

The French leader said he would not allow “an unjustified slowness, for bad reasons, to take root”.

Le vaccin est une chance extraordinaire, il ne faut craindre ni de se faire vacciner, ni de ne pas y avoir accès. Progressivement, tout le monde pourra être protégé, par ordre de priorité, à mesure que les vaccins nous seront livrés. (11/12)

— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) December 31, 2020

De plus, avant la début février, de 1ers centres de vaccination ouvriront en ville, pour commencer à vacciner les personnes âgées de 75 ans et plus, puis les 65 ans et plus, etc. (10/12)

— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) December 31, 2020

Ces vaccins sont livrés progressivement à la France, et bientôt plus d'une centaine d'hôpitaux équipés pourront les délivrer chaque jour. Sur tout le territoire métropolitain et en Outre-mer. (9/12)

— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) December 31, 2020

Nous avons décidé, en parallèle, d'accélérer la protection des publics prioritaires. Dès lundi, les soignants de 50 ans et plus qui le souhaitent, pourront se faire vacciner dans les centres disposant déjà de vaccins. (8/12)

— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) December 31, 2020

Before Mr Macron spoke, his health minister tweeted that shots would be offered from Monday to health care workers aged 50 and older.

Only a few hundred people received vaccines against Cvoid-19 in the days after a 78-year-old in a long-term care facility got the first shot on Sunday.

Consent requirements have slowed the process, with officials also treading cautiously because of widespread scepticism in France around the safety of the rapidly developed vaccines.

But critics increasingly are accusing health officials of being overly cautious.

The National Academy of Medicine said the slow start “is difficult to defend”.

France has reported the virus-related deaths of more than 64,000 people since the start of the pandemic.