Covid vaccines France: Key details, appointments, documents

Vaccinations will be available for 6.4 million people in France from Monday. Priority is given to the over 75s and people who have conditions which make them at high risk to severe forms of Covid-19

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France will begin vaccinations against Covid-19 to certain groups of the public from Monday, January 18, with around 6.4 million people eligible for the jab.

This will include everyone over 75 years old as well as people at risk of developing serious forms of the virus due to existing chronic conditions regardless of their age, Prime Minister Jean Castex said during a televised press conference tonight (January 14).

The high risk vulnerable group will include, for example, people suffering from severe kidney failure, those who have undergone an organ transplant, people undergoing cancer treatment and those with Down's syndrome. It will cover around 800,000 people in France.

Mr Castex called the prioritisation of the most vulnerable a question of "ethics and efficiency".

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“From the end of January, we will have vaccinated over one million people, which was our initial objective,” he said.

He warned that it would take several weeks for everyone to be vaccinated and asked for people to be patient, saying, “not everyone will be able to get the vaccine immediately”.

Booking a vaccination appointment

  • From Monday, January 18, all over 75s and everyone at high risk of a serious form of Covid-19 due to existing conditions will be eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccination.
  • Vaccination appointments can be booked from January 15
  • The most direct way is to directly phone your closest vaccination centre. Contact details will be available online
  • You can also book an appointment online at sante.fr or via the private websites Doctolib.fr, Maiia and Keldoc
  • You can book appointments on behalf of someone else
  • You can also phone a free information hotline to find out where your nearest vaccination centre is. The number is: 0 800 009 110. This number will be open from 06:00 until 22:00, beginning tomorrow (January 15). You do not book an appointment through this number but operators will direct you to vaccination centres near you.
  • High-risk patients must consult their GP before being vaccinated
  • On the day of the vaccination you will need to take a valid ID, your Carte Vitale or a Cpam attestation verifying your right to French healthcare
  • 700 vaccination centres will be open around the country from Monday January 18

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