PARIS – A panel of scientists who advise the French government on health yesterday warned that as many as 95% of people may need to be vaccinated to halt the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.
With cases rising, “a fourth wave linked to the Delta variant could hit swiftly, with repercussions for the health system despite high levels of vaccination”, said the Scientific Council.
“We can’t get the epidemic under control unless 90% to 95% of people are vaccinated or infected.”
So far, only around half of French people have received a first dose and 40%, two shots, with the government aiming to get two-thirds – 35 million individuals – fully protected by end-August.
“If people wait until after the summer holidays to get vaccinated, it will be too late,” epidemiologist and Scientific Council member Arnaud Fontanet told broadcaster RTL, adding that the shots are “very effective and free of charge”.
With case numbers rising after a series of reopening steps, President Emmanuel Macron is expected to outline next moves in managing the pandemic in a TV address on Monday.
On the agenda at a meeting of France’s Defence Council earlier that day is whether to make vaccination compulsory for health workers, one of the key recommendations from the scientists.
Ministers could agree on a draft law as early as Tuesday before sending it to Parliament.
The Scientific Council also urged the strengthening of the country’s track-and-trace programme, and highlighted rising hospitalisation numbers due to Delta – first detected in India – in England, Scotland, Ireland and Portugal.
The variant already accounts for half of new cases in France, and is believed to be around 60% more infectious.
“Without infection control measures, there could be a similar peak in hospitalisations to the one in autumn 2020,” said the Pasteur Institute research organisation, adding that unvaccinated over-60s remain especially at risk.
Other scientific advice includes reducing the number of people allowed to attend events, localised restrictions, and reducing the time between the first and second doses of mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, from six to three or four weeks. – AFP, July 10, 2021
