No vaccine if you have had Covid already: French health body
La Haute Autorité de Santé has said that people who have already had a symptomatic form of the virus will not ‘systematically’ need a vaccine
People who have already had a symptomatic form of Covid-19 will not necessarily need to receive the vaccine as a matter of course, French health authorities have said, in a change from previous advice.
Health body la Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) said on Friday December 18 that it will not be necessary to “systematically” vaccinate people who have already had the virus with symptoms.
The new statement is a U-turn on the HAS’ previous advice at the end of November, when it said that it would likely be necessary to vaccinate former patients in addition to those who have not had a symptomatic form of the virus (or had it at all).
The HAS issued the statement in response to a request for clarification from the Direction Générale de la Santé.
Advice could change again
It added that current advice on this could change again if new data dictates.
It said: “The length of long-term immunity [to getting the virus again after having it once] by Covid-19 is currently unknown.”
So far, reinfection rates appear very low.
The HAS added: “Currently the data does not allow us to know if there is a benefit to vaccinating people who have already been infected by SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, the data that we do have shows that there are no unwanted side-effects when someone who has already had Covid-19 gets a vaccination.
“Therefore, there is no need to systematically vaccinate people who have already had a symptomatic form of the Covid-19.”
No plans to stop people being vaccinated
Yet, the HAS said it was unlikely to stop people who have had a symptomatic form of virus from getting a vaccination if they choose and “after a shared decision with their doctor”.
It said: “In this case, it would be preferable to leave a gap of at least three months from the beginning of symptoms.”
France has already announced its vaccination plan, starting with healthcare workers, the most elderly and the most vulnerable.
The first vaccinations are set to begin “from the last week of December”, but “not before the end of Spring” for the rest of the non-priority population, said Prime Minister Jean Castex on Wednesday December 16.
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