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A prestigious professional body in France is concerned that too few health workers have agreed to be vaccinated against Covid-19. In a statement on Saturday, they said staff have an ethical duty to the patients in their care. It comes as several cities have started their weekend lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus.
Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is an “ethical requirement for all health workers” according to the French Order of Physicians.
The professional body issued a statement on Saturday reminding all medical staff of their duty to “lead by example” in the midst of a pandemic.
More than two-thirds of doctors have been vaccinated according to the organization, but only 30 percent of health workers have received a vaccine.
“The protection of patients is a fundamental duty,” he continued, adding that the vaccine is capable of “considerably reducing the chain of transmission of the virus”. All medical staff were eligible to be vaccinated, he said.
Prime Minister Jean Castex and Health Minister Olivier Véran both pleaded for medical staff to receive the blow, saying the ratio was not high enough.
On Saturday, Véran published figures on social networks after a visit to a vaccination center.
“Everyone is on call, doctors, firefighters, elected officials,” he wrote, “and already at 5.30pm on Saturday, 220,000 French people were vaccinated, more than double the number last Saturday. And we continue tomorrow! ”
At the start of the vaccination campaign in France, only those over 75 and medical staff over 50, with pre-existing conditions, were on a priority vaccination list.
However, the government lobbied to open the vaccination campaign to all health workers and citizens under the age of 75.
Pharmacies will also be allowed to vaccinate people over 50 from March 15.
It was announced on Friday that four military hospitals will be set up in different parts of the country to help with the vaccination campaign, which has been widely criticized as being too slow compared to many other European countries.
So far, 3.2 million people have received at least one dose, compared to nearly 21 million in Britain.
Castex said the government intends to offer a blow to 30 million people by the summer.
Meanwhile, the Pas-de-Calais region has joined Nice and Dunkirk for a lockdown weekend.
Although Paris narrowly escaped this measure, police have warned that they will not tolerate crowds gathering in areas of the Seine, popular for picnics and outdoor parties.
An alcohol ban was introduced for at least three weekends.
Covid-19 has killed more than 87,000 people in France since the start of the pandemic.
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