Is it too late to get a French health pass if I get vaccinated now?

RQ: I am unvaccinated and I am considering getting my doses. With the new obligation regarding the booster dose and the health pass, my question is: if I get double dosed now, will I still get a health pass?

Yes.

The integration of booster doses into the French health pass will work on a gradual basis, meaning that the additional dose will not be required straightaway.

Until December 15, people in France will be able to create a health pass from their vaccination documents seven days after receiving their second Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine dose or 28 days after receiving Janssen.

However, on this date, the booster dose will become a compulsory part of the health pass for people aged 65 and over and those who initially received the Janssen jab.

Over-65s who received their second dose of a two-dose vaccine more than seven months before without getting their booster will see their health passes expire.

This is because people only become eligible for their booster five months after their final dose of a two-dose vaccine, and are given two months in which to organise their booster appointment before their health pass is invalidated.

Read more: What happens to the health passes of over-65s visiting France?

For people vaccinated with Janssen, the time limit for receiving an additional vaccine dose is two months.

This rule will be extended to all adults on January 15, as the booster campaign was only opened to people under 65 in November.

However, if you have not yet reached the deadline for your booster dose, you are not affected by the requirement.

Therefore, if you begin the vaccination process now and receive both doses over the next month or so, you will be able to access your health pass as normal for the following five months, after which time you will have two further months in which to get your booster.

You will be able to create your health pass using the certificate you are given at the vaccination centre, by your GP or pharmacist or by logging into your Assurance maladie account. This contains a QR code which can be uploaded to the TousAntiCovid app and which will then serve as a health pass.

The health pass became a key requirement across France in late July. People need to show proof of full vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from Covid to enter most museums and cinemas, or to travel by TGV and take a domestic flight.

Please note that the booster dose will only be added to your health pass seven days after you receive it.

The government has also said that TousAntiCovid would be updated to incorporate an alert function aimed at warning people when their booster dose is due.

You can read more about obtaining a health pass on the service-public.fr public information page.

Unvaccinated people can also access a temporary health pass by presenting a negative PCR, antigen or supervised self-administered test result from the last 24 hours.

People who have already been infected with Covid can also use their certificate of recovery, which takes the form of a positive PCR test result issued more than 11 days and less than six months before.

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