France’s 2026 Covid vaccination campaign to begin: who it targets and why
Spring vaccination aims to protect most vulnerable over summer months
The vaccination campaign runs until June 30
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France’s spring Covid vaccination campaign begins next week, offering jabs to vulnerable residents across the country.
The first element of the bi-annual campaign, the spring Covid vaccination drive differs from its autumn counterpart in that it is offered alone, whereas in autumn it is combined with the flu vaccine rollout.
The spring 2026 campaign will begin on Monday April 20, lasting until June 30.
It follows previous spring campaigns, including in 2025.
Recommendations and rules
The vaccine is recommended for the following groups:
Those aged 80 and above
Immunocompromised patients, regardless of age
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, regardless of age
All individuals classified as very high risk, based on their individual medical situation and within the framework of a medical decision
However, anyone can ask for a jab, provided it has been at least three months since their most recent Covid-19 vaccination.
The vaccination and cost of injection is free for those subscribed to France’s state health insurance system Assurance Maladie.
It is covered upfront, meaning you do not need to pay to be reimbursed at a later date.
The vaccine can be given by doctors, pharmacists, nurses, eligible midwives, and dentists.
An appointment is required, but are often available on the spot during a walk-in visit – particularly at pharmacies – otherwise you will be given a time and date to return for a vaccination.
Little presence of Covid but preventive measures advised
The campaign is part of the government’s continual anti-Covid measures.
Recent analyses show very little circulation of any Covid-19 strain in wastewater – the main way presence of the virus is measured across France – but health authorities remain vigilant.
The spring/summer campaign is rolled out to “ensure the protection of the most vulnerable people during the summer period,” the Health Ministry said and to boost immunity to the virus among the general population and minimise the risk of it spreading to vulnerable groups.
Last year, a peak in Covid-19 cases was recorded in August/September, prior to the autumn/winter campaign.
France’s national health authority (Haute Autorité de santé, HAS), which provides advice for the Health Ministry on campaigns and other issues, said it had not been notified specifically about the spring 2026 campaign, but said information from 2025 “remains valid.”
“The unpredictable nature of the Covid-19 epidemic's evolution, given the additional protection conferred by the currently available vaccine against circulating variants,” HAS said, quoted in Le Parisien.
