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HEALTH-VIRUS-FRANCE-VACCINE
Macron pledges no ‘unjustifiable delays’ in Covid jabs
PARIS, Jan 1, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron vowed
Thursday to avoid “unjustifiable delays” in efforts to immunise citizens
against Covid-19 following criticism over the slow pace of the inoculation
campaign.
But in his New Year’s address to the nation Macron also struck a defensive
note, saying he would let “no-one play with the safety” of the vaccination
drive.
With France’s vaccination programme so far paling in comparison to many
other EU countries, Macron — who has himself just recovered from Covid-19 —
is under pressure to step up the pace.
Since Sunday, fewer than 200 people have been given the Pfizer-BioNTech jab
in France, compared to 78,000 in Germany.
The government had defended the pace, saying that officials were taking
time to win over a vaccine-sceptical nation by giving patients time to
consider their choices.
But shortly before Macron’s speech, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced
plans to expand the campaign which so far has solely targeted care-home
residents and health workers aged over 65.
Veran said that from Monday health workers aged over 50 could also get the
jab — much sooner than initially planned.
The race to immunise the population gained increased urgency following the
announcement Thursday that a South African variant of coronavirus, feared to
be more contagious, had been detected in France.
The news came less than a week after France confirmed it had also recorded
its first case of a new strain blamed for a spike of infections in Britain.
The pandemic has claimed 64,632 lives in France, where bars, restaurants
and cultural and sporting venues remain closed two weeks after the end of a
second nationwide lockdown.
“This year 2020 has been difficult,” Macron, who was forced by the virus to
put his reform drive on the back burner, acknowledged.
“But together we emerge more united,” he said.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0927 hrs