France ahead of schedule to give 10m first Covid-19 vaccine doses

France will today pass the mark of delivering a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to 10 million people. The government had previously stated this milestone would be reached by April 15, meaning the country is one week ahead of schedule.

A total of 9,797,957 first doses have been delivered in France so far. Yesterday, 391,177 vaccinations were carried out (first and second doses), so it is expected that the 10 million mark will be reached today. 

So far in April, 1,757,591 doses of a Covid-19 vaccination have been delivered.

A total of 13,160,000 doses (first and second) have been injected since the campaign began on December 27, 2020. 

Covid France: Why is vaccinating 10 million people important?

The French government is aiming to vaccinate 10 million people with a first dose by mid-April, 20 million by mid-May and 30 million by the end of June. It is hoping to have vaccinated every willing adult by the end of the summer. 

Covid: Will France have enough vaccines to meet its new targets?

#Vaccination #COVID19 | Au 7 avril, 9 797 957 premières injections et 3 362 472 secondes injections ont été réalisées ⤵

— Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé (@Sante_Gouv) April 7, 2021

The target of 10 million is important as it corresponds approximately to the number of people who are most vulnerable to serious forms of Covid-19.

There are roughly 6.4 million over 75s in France, with age being the most important factor in determining who is at risk of Covid-19, France’s health authority the Haute Autorité de Santé states.

There are a further one million people younger than 75 who have serious health conditions that could result in severe cases of Covid-19.

If you add all the health workers who are regularly exposed to Covid-19 patients to the equation, you get a rough number of eight to nine million, Le Figaro reported.  

This means that after 10 million first doses, the most vulnerable people in the country will be at least partially protected from serious forms of Covid-19 (two doses are required for full efficacy in all of the vaccines approved for use in France except for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, scheduled to be rolled out in late April and which requires only one dose). 

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This number then is crucial as with these people protected, the pressure on hospitals and intensive care units should decrease.