He contemplates the list of patients awaiting their third dose of vaccine. “We have no more slots available before December 15,” reports Régis Laleuf, head of the pharmacy of the 3 fountains at the Cergy shopping center.
From December 15, the health pass will no longer be valid without a third dose for frail people and those 65 years and over. But this time, many centers and vaccinodromes closed their doors. The government is focusing more on community medicine with pharmacies and doctors. So for a few weeks now, Regis’ sign has been in action.
Its pharmacy has even extended its time slots by one hour during vaccination days, Fridays and Saturdays. Each week, its brand vaccinates between 30 to 40 people. ” It is not fair we sting and we leave. There are a lot of things to manage upstream. I became a pharmacist and vaccinator! Vaccination adds an enormous workload to us. We do a lot of secretarial work because each time we call the patients before the appointments, livens up Régis Laleuf. I use my interns especially for these tasks. Some don’t come at the last moment. The vaccines are given in ten doses. However, if they are not used the same day, they must be thrown away and I don’t want that! “
This manager even recently hired a full-time fixed-term contract in addition to his 14 employees to deal with “all the extras of vaccination”. After a few minutes of reflection, he admits despite everything that it is no longer the same “commotion” as for the first wave. Because his team is “well established now”. Since the start of the health crisis, his pharmacy has vaccinated 746 patients. “We learned new skills,” he says, with a satisfied look. We are better organized than for the first doses. “
“It will be complicated to deal with the arrival of the fiftieth birthday”
It must be said that the demand for this third dose is not as great as he thought. “I expected a real boom. We have a lot of fragile people who register, he notes. But we feel a slight reluctance among seniors for this third dose. “
Nonetheless, Régis is already forecasting a sharp increase in demand with the opening of the third dose for fifty-year-olds from December. Francis, a customer at the counter, is also waiting for that. “It is sometimes easier to go to the pharmacy because the vaccinodromes were far away,” he observes. But these professionals must be able to answer them. “
Precisely, some employees of the Régis team have some apprehensions. Behind her counter, Jenifer finds it a shame that many centers have closed. “Apart from vaccination, we already have a lot of reception and order preparation work. I am rather in favor of more centers reopening to unload pharmacies, slips the young preparer. It will be difficult to deal with the arrival of the fiftieth birthday. “
Sometimes, the comings and goings related to vaccination can even disrupt the reception of customers according to Régis. “And unlike tests, you should know that there is no profitability for vaccines, underlines the manager. Since this is a huge extra job, it costs me more money than profits. “
Eleven vaccination centers opened in Val-d’Oise
In the department, two new centers will be open by the weekend in the Val d’Oise. These are Saint-Brice and Viarmes. They will be added to the nine which had remained open in Enghien-les-Bains, Sarcelles, Villiers-le-Bel, Persan, Magny-en-Vexin, Cergy, Sannois, Argenteuil and Taverny.
“In a logic of moving from mass vaccination to a local offer, while keeping a high capacity of vaccine doses, the vaccine offer has been adapted according to the territories and local situations with the prefects and elected officials in order to ” intensify outreach systems and increasingly deploy vaccination to medicine and town pharmacies (offer now available on www.sante.fr). Vaccination in the city is also recommended for people eligible for the double flu and Covid-19 vaccination ”, indicates the Regional Health Agency.
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