Vaccine against the coronavirus: what the French authorities fear

French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, consider that you must be careful about the prospect of vaccines against the coronavirus and said to fear when the reluctance of the population, which could compromise the objective of collective immunity.

“My fear is that the French are not sufficiently vaccinated”, says Castex in an interview published this Saturday by “The world”, in which he insists you have to get used to living with the virus in the long term.

Behind his concern hides, among other things, a survey published by the Ispsos demographic institute – carried out in fifteen countries during the first half of October – which highlights the weak will of the French to be vaccinated when this possibility exists.

21% of French people say they do not agree at all with the idea of ​​getting vaccinated and an additional 25% do not agree either, percentages higher than in other countries analyzed in the study.

Last Tuesday, the leader of French environmentalists, the MEP Yannick Jadot, opened the debate on the advisability of making vaccination compulsory by voting in favor.

It did so in the name of collective security and to avoid a situation like the current one, in which France had to set up a second home to contain the escalation of infections and the resulting hospitalizations and deaths.

The government shows without enthusiasm with the obligation to be vaccinated and so far its publicly stated position is that this question does not arise at the moment.

Other policy makers have also given their opinions. The leader of the far right, Marine Le Pen, I thought it was a question personal responsibility, while the president of the conservative Los Republicanos group, Christian jacob, it was reserved on a possible imposition.

The High health authority, which advises the government, does not recommend forcing the population to be vaccinated because it could be counterproductive and the goal should be to gain their trust, and this is done by transparently explaining what the benefits are, but also the possible risks.

Castex, who confirmed Thursday that home confinement in effect since October 30 will continue until December 1 despite protests from many sectors affected by the administrative closure, is taking his position because of the priority he gives to health security. .

He reiterates that bars and restaurants will not be able to open from December 1 and that teleworking will have to continue.

“In a crisis like we have not seen since 1920, with hundreds of deaths every day, my first decision criterion is health security,” he underlines.

“It is a satisfaction that the French want to work. But I have to tell them that safety and health protection come before everything,” he adds.

Looking ahead to the next few months, he warns that there is no doubt that “festive, family and local gatherings will not be able to resume for a long time”.