France reduces time gap to get Covid booster jab to keep health pass

France is shortening the time delay in which people must get a Covid booster in order to maintain their health pass.

From February 15 people will need to have a booster four months after their second jab in contrast to the current gap of seven months.

Health Minister Olivier Véran made the announcement in an interview in the Journal du Dimanche yesterday (January 2).

People are now eligible to get a booster three months after their second jab so the change will mean they will have only one month of flexibility to get the extra dose to maintain their pass.

At first eligibility for a booster was after five months, then four before being reduced to three months recently.

Read more: Six questions on France’s new anti-Covid measures answered

A health pass is needed to gain entry to restaurants, cinemas, TGVs and a series of other public spaces in France. It is not related to rules governing entry into France which currently do not require people to have had booster shots.

Mr Véran, however, said that people who get Covid before having their booster shot will still be able to use their health pass.

He said: "An infection will always be equivalent to an injection. This means that a person who has had two doses and has not yet received a booster shot but has recently been infected by the virus meets the conditions set.”

It comes as France introduces seven new changes in Covid rules from today (Monday, January 3).

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