You went to the opening of the anti-Covid vaccination center in Forbach. Appointment requests are pouring in. Some fear a shortage of doses. How can you reassure the population?
Claude DULAMON : “All countries are ordering vaccines at the same time, distribution in sites is being organized but it will be gradual. Do not panic or worry, everyone will have their vaccine. You have to be patient. In Moselle, the creation of vaccination centers is managed by the prefect in conjunction with the ARS (Regional Health Agency). Marie-Odile Saillard, director general of CHR Metz-Thionville, and her teams are responsible for the distribution of vaccines. The Forbach vaccination center opened on Tuesday and will vaccinate 80 people per day. All slots until January 29 are reserved but other time slots will be open in the coming days. “
Several mayors, such as those of Freyming-Merlebach or Hombourg-Haut, are candidates to open other vaccination rooms. What do you tell them?
“I am approached by many mayors who themselves are questioned by their constituents. This is good because it shows that everyone wants to participate in the fight against this pandemic. For now, the prefect has decided to create a center for 100,000 inhabitants in Moselle. This makes ten in the department, including three in Moselle-Est. Let these centers break in, gain strength. We must also take into account vaccine supply flows. It would be useless to open centers without being sure to have doses to operate them. We are not closing the door to mayors who wish to participate in the campaign because there will be a lot of people to vaccinate. But we will see as needed. “
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Complex logistics to set up
Is there also the problem of vaccine storage?
” Yes. Logistics are complex for the delivery of vaccines. Pfizer vaccine should be stored at – 80 ° C and can only be used for a few days after thawing. For Moderna, the vaccine injected in Forbach is a little less restrictive. It can be stored at -20 ° C and withstands another 28 days at 2 ° C in the refrigerator. It is because of all this that the prefect wanted the vaccination centers to be backed up, initially, by hospitals in the main cities. “
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Apart from those over 75, vulnerable people can already be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Who is concerned ?
“The government opened vaccination to very high-risk vulnerable patients as of January 18. This concerns a precise list of cases and diseases: cancer in chemotherapy, severe chronic renal diseases including dialysis patients, chronic multiple pathologies, rare diseases. Transplant recipients or people with trisomy 21 are also admitted for vaccination. “
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