Priority cases for Covid-19 vaccination in France

Reader question: I am 74 and suffer from atrial fibrillation. Will I have to wait long for the vaccine?

The French government decided to prioritise vaccinating what it deems to be the most vulnerable first, those living in care homes and the staff there.

The initial aim was to vaccinate one million people in this category by the end of February.

However, faced with criticism for the slowness of the campaign, Health Minister Olivier Véran has announced that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in France will speed up.

He has said that France will begin vaccinating all over 75s by the end of January, not just those living in care homes. This stage was initially planned to be carried out in February or March.

Once this group has been vaccinated, France will move on to vaccinating the remaining health professionals - the process to vaccinate health workers aged over 50 began on Monday, January 4.

Then it is the turn of the over 65s, with those with additional risk factors prioritised.

This group was originally set to be vaccinated from around March but with the process rolling out more quickly they are expected to receive the jab sooner.

You would fall into this category and can expect to be vaccinated in or around March if there are no further hitches to the current vaccination plan.

The chart below outlines the different stages of the vaccine and how patients will be prioritised. You can also find more answers to FAQs on the Covid-19 vaccine here.