France steps up drive to distribute boosters
COVID spike prompts worries across Europe
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron issued a mass appeal Tuesday for people to get booster shots to fight surging virus infections that are raising concerns across Europe.
Anyone over 65 who was vaccinated more than six months ago will need a booster shot by mid-december for their “health pass” to remain valid, Macron said.
He promised stepped-up enforcement of the health pass, which is required to access restaurants and many public venues in France. To get a pass, people must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a negative virus test or a recent recovery from the virus.
Booster shots, currently authorized in France for anyone over 65 or with underlying health conditions, will be expanded to those 50 and over in December, Macron said.
“Each of us must play our part” to avoid a deadly “fifth wave” of the pandemic, Macron said in a televised speech.
Stressing that most of those hospitalized in France with the virus are unvaccinated, Macron also appealed to the 6 million other unvaccinated French people to “get vaccinated. Protect yourself.”
Nearly 75 percent of the French population is fully vaccinated, including 88 percent of adults. That is among the higher rates in Europe, but vaccinations have hit a plateau in recent weeks.
Macron also laid out ways that his government is trying to boost the economy.
The speech came as virus cases are going up again in many European countries and some hospitals are coming under renewed strain, as vaccination efforts slow and winter approaches.
In other developments:
■ The British government says all health care staff who work with the public will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus starting in April, despite concerns the move could drive thousands of people to quit their jobs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Tuesday that 90 percent of staff in the state-funded National Health Service have already received two doses of a vaccine. But that leaves more than 100,000 health workers unvaccinated.
■ The European Union’s medicines agency has begun reviewing Merck’s COVID-19 treatment pill so that it can swiftly advise national drug authorities in the 27-nation bloc who want to begin using it before it gets official approval. The European Medicines Agency said in a statement that it will give “Eu-wide recommendations in the shortest possible timeframe to help national authorities decide on possible early use of the medicine, for example, in emergency use settings.”
■ Denmark wants to again consider COVID-19 as “a socially critical disease,” paving the way for the reintroduction of a digital pass months after the label was removed and restrictions were phased out. The move, which still needs approval in parliament, will also allow Denmark to reintroduce other restrictions if deemed necessary. A majority seems to be backing the suggestion of the minority Social Democratic government.