French Ministry of Health maintains October vaccination schedule

The French Ministry of Health has announced that the current circulation of Covid-19 does not require moving up the scheduled vaccination campaign. Despite a progressive increase in cases since the start of the school year—particularly in the Île-de-France region—health authorities state that current indicators do not justify an earlier launch.

The vaccination campaign, which will be coupled with the flu vaccination drive, is set to begin on October 13. This schedule applies to mainland France, though vaccination has already begun in Mayotte and follows a different timeline in La Réunion.

While there is an increase in virus presence in wastewater and medical consultations, the ministry noted that the sanitary impact of co-circulating respiratory viruses remains low nationwide and is not putting significant pressure on hospitals. Data from Santé publique France and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) support the observation that while the virus is circulating more widely across Europe, hospital repercussions remain minimal at this stage.