The evolution of the Delta variant of Sars CoV-2 is worrying in the face of vaccination coverage in France far removed from collective immunity. Prime Minister Jean Castex consults this first week of July, the leaders of Parliament and local elected officials to address, among other things, the issue ofvaccine obligation caregivers. Christophe Prudhomme, emergency doctor in Seine-Saint-Denis, spokesperson for the Association of emergency physicians of France (Amuf) and head of the CGT-Santé federation, is opposed to it. Unless this obligation applies to all French people. «
Why stigmatize part of the population? “ he asks. Interview.
Should vaccination be made compulsory for caregivers?
I share the government’s objective: to obtain the best vaccination coverage rate for the entire population, as quickly as possible. Not his method. Why focus on caregivers? It is badly lived and unwelcome. It is the entire unvaccinated population that should be targeted. And if the government wants to use the stick, let it do it with the entire population. If he opts for the vaccination obligation, that he impose it on all French people. Why stigmatize part of the population?
So how can you increase vaccination coverage?
Let’s start by making vaccination truly accessible to everyone. Let’s put friendly, empathetic pressure on everyone. And let’s look at territorial inequalities. In the department in which I work, Seine-Saint-Denis, the overall vaccination rate, all ages combined, is 15% lower than the neighboring department, Hauts-de-Seine… I recently took charge of a colleague became ill, overweight, who was not vaccinated. Why ? “I work at night. Vaccination days at the hospital do not fall at the same time as my planning days… ”she explained to me. Let us first improve access to vaccination, which is not so easy everywhere, no offense to Mr. Véran.
Fears are also expressed with regard to the vaccine. Given the evolution of the Delta variant, do we still have time to do pedagogy?
We have been wasting time for fifteen days talking only about the compulsory vaccination of caregivers. Instead of acting for the entire population. We must continue the work of conviction which, as we have seen in recent months, has borne fruit. Let us also take advantage of previous experiences: the seasonal influenza vaccination of caregivers has increased because vaccinations have been organized in the departments, by caregivers among themselves. If it is your colleague who offers to vaccinate you, it is easier than if it is your manager.
You also speak of a “resentment” of the nursing staff?
Yes, there is a social and psychological context to take into account, and in particular among nursing assistants, who are at the bottom of the scale. There is resentment, a lack of confidence in the institutions. These staff, who make a lot of efforts, have been calling for a significant increase in hiring for years. Some have, moreover, not yet received the premium of € 183 from Ségur, because it is the employer who takes care of it… And Ségur has not changed the workforce. However, there must be sufficient numbers to work well, to comply with hygiene measures.
Instead of responding to these requests, these staff are called “bad guys” because they are not sufficiently immunized. If the government imposes the stick, makes vaccination compulsory for these personnel, we risk having great difficulties. Caregivers are going to leave. However, in some nursing homes, if two people leave, the system collapses.
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