The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, indicated on April 30 on Franceinfo that the vaccination against Covid-19 would be extended “from Saturday” to all “fragile” French adults. This concerns obese people but also those suffering from hypertension, diabetes, kidney or heart failure.

President Emmanuel Macron announced on April 29 in the regional press the opening of vaccination to all obese people over 18 years old, citing the figure of 2.3 million French people concerned.

“He spoke about obesity, because obesity is the first chronic disease, or the first risk factor, apart from age, which exposes people to severe forms” of Covid, explained Olivier Véran.

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Hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure

“We are obviously also opening up vaccination to people with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney or heart failure,” added the Minister. He specified that these new rules would prevail from May 1.

“In total, we are expanding vaccination to some 4 million fragile French people,” he said. Until now, adults under the age of 50 have only been eligible for vaccination if they have a “very high risk of severe form of Covid-19”, such as people with cancer on treatment.

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Impatience of young people

Commenting on the calls to expand access to vaccines to all French people, even young people and without comorbidity, the minister implicitly called for patience.

“I hear the urge for vaccination, I accompany it, and I hope that it lasts”. In June, July, August, “we will need that there are many French people who wish to be vaccinated, even though the epidemic seems to be behind us,” he commented.

“We are accelerating as much as we can, depending on the doses delivered to us,” he said.