Yesterday, during a trip to a vaccination center in Valencienne, the President announced that the vaccination campaign would be extended on Saturday. He also wants to put pressure on AstraZeneca.
Show to better turn the page. While since Thursday evening, the announcements of the third confinement have caused an unprecedented series of hiccups, yesterday, the head of state tried to regain control. To the new containment measures, mocked by the French, the Head of State seemed to want to oppose the great return of the vaccination campaign by increasing the announcements. Opening of vaccinodromes, extension of vaccination to people aged 70 to 75, vaccination of teachers … “From mid-end of April”, the number of vaccines received will enable “campaigns to be launched on professions in which we requires efforts “especially teachers, also said the Head of State visiting Valenciennes. He thus puts into practice the principle that he has been defending for several weeks already: confinements are not the solution, only vaccination will contain the pandemic.
But the French no longer believe it. Delays in delivery, difficulties in setting up vaccination centers and then doubts about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine broke confidence. However, if France is still lagging behind – concerning the percentage of the population having received two doses – over Israel, Chile or the United States, this is reduced with Italy or Germany. France even overtakes Great Britain which, on March 22, had only administered two doses of vaccines to 2.2% of its population against 2.5% in France.
Since last week, the Élysée and Matignon have therefore been wondering how to encourage the French to return to the vaccination rooms. “People need to regain a surge of confidence,” explained an adviser to The Dispatch. And for that, it is necessary to create a dynamic by the image. Saturday March 6 and Sunday March 7, the “flash” vaccination weekend, with its queues stretching out in front of hospitals, had struck people. The idea is therefore to show, once again, the impatience of some to create the envy of others. However, the example of Jean Castex receiving his first dose is far from being predictive. The communicators of the two heads of the executive therefore observed the images of German or American vaccinodromes where the logistics were entrusted to the military. They drew some lessons from it: “in France, firefighters have already started to vaccinate, it shows a real rise in power”, assured us an adviser last week who added “but we can go further, mobilize the army and open the Stade de France “. It will be done on April 6. Yesterday, the mayor of Saint-Denis was already broadcasting, on social networks, the images of the flash recruitment of 60 people organized in town hall to ensure the organization of the future vaccinodrome. It is a real conversion for the Elysee, which until now refused the idea of these giant vaccination rooms. “They will only be of use when vaccination is open to everyone”, the Château assured us two weeks ago. The President’s communicators then feared the images of empty rooms just as much as the absence of doses. Now, the head of state seems determined to shift gear. He also assured yesterday that France was fighting to obtain the doses of anti-Covid vaccine that AstraZenaca owes it and would continue to put “extremely strong pressure” on the laboratory so that it “honors ” the contracts. A new front opens for Emmanuel Macron who thus abandons, to Jean Castex, the lost battle of confinement.
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