Covid vaccination in France opens to all adults with health issues
It includes people over 18 who suffer from obesity, hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure, heart failure or cancer
France has given a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to around 15 million people
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Covid-19 vaccinations will be open to all adults over 18 years old with certain health issues from tomorrow, May 1, France’s health minister Olivier Véran has stated.
This covers those with hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure, heart failure or cancer.
They will be able to get vaccinated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. The AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only being given to people aged over 55.
President Emmanuel Macron has also stated that all adults with severe obesity, meaning a body mass index of over 30, will also be eligible for a vaccination from tomorrow.
People aged over 55 with these health issues are already eligible to be vaccinated.
This new phase of reopening will affect around four million people, Mr Véran said in an interview with Franceinfo.
"Obesity is the first risk factor apart from age which exposes people to serious forms of Covid-19," he said.
The government has faced pressure recently to speed up its vaccination rollout.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told Franceinfo last week: "I believe that the age question must be let go, because it is still a scandal that doses are not used when there are many people who wish to be vaccinated."
Mr Véran said yesterday in response, “it is not doing the vaccination centres any favours to see masses of people flocking to them”.
"We are once again accelerating to the maximum of what we can according to the doses delivered to us and the good news will continue to arrive, week after week.”
Covid-19 vaccinations will be opened to all adults, regardless of their health, from June 15, Mr Macron confirmed today (April 30).
France is set to exceed the mark of delivering 15 million first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine to people by the end of this week.
For updates on France's vaccination campaign and when you might be eligible, check our Covid vaccine FAQs. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, you can also submit your vaccine question to us.
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