Will caregivers soon be forced to vaccinate against covid? This is the idea supported by Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, President of the Scientific Council.

“On the vaccination of caregivers, in particular in nursing homes, but not only, I changed my mind: I was against the obligation, but it seems to me that now, we have reached the level where we must in everything case consider an obligation“, he estimated on June 30 at the microphone of France Inter. “Because if we want to anticipate what will happen in September, it’s now“, he added.

Target 80% of caregivers vaccinated

And this is also the solution that the government is considering if the staff rate of nursing homes and hospitals vaccinated does not reach “at least 80% (…) by September“, according to a letter consulted on June 29 by AFP.

“Otherwise, we will pave the way for compulsory vaccination for health professionals“, write the Ministers of Health Olivier Véran and of Autonomy Brigitte Bourguignon in this letter addressed to the directors of hospitals and retirement homes, dated June 28.

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Protect residents of nursing homes

Nursing homes and long-term care units (USLDs) are particularly targeted, because “only 55% of professionals “ have received at least one dose there.

“This is insufficient and it is not a normal situation with regard to the fragility of the residents, in a context of threats linked to the appearance and spread of certain worrying variants.“, insist the two ministers.

Several caveats

The government thus specifies for the first time its target for vaccination coverage among caregivers, after several warnings.

After a first call for vaccination on June 17, Olivier Véran threatened again on June 29 on France Info to make the vaccination “obligatory“in September for caregivers if the”work of conviction“was not enough during the summer.