PARIS • France has opened up Covid-19 vaccination to all adults, a week before Germany, as Europe races to avoid another wave of infections caused by new virus variants.
So far, 25.4 million people in France have received a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, representing about 38 per cent of the population and nearly one in two adults.
Until Monday, people over 50, workers in professions particularly exposed to the virus and younger adults with underlying health problems were given priority.
With the country just beginning to bounce back from a severe third wave of infections, President Emmanuel Macron's government is keen to quickly expand vaccine coverage to slow the spread of variants that could spell fresh disaster.
Both France and Germany have over the past week imposed new restrictions on travel from Britain, to curb the spread of the variant first detected in India and blamed for a surge of cases in parts of Britain.
In a severe blow to the French tourism sector, as of Monday, British and other non-European Union nationals travelling from Britain to France must provide a "compelling" reason to enter the country.
Germany, meanwhile, has imposed a two-week quarantine for travellers arriving from Britain.
As the French savour a degree of freedom after the reopening of cafes, restaurants and museums two weeks ago, the high levels of vaccine hesitancy seen initially have begun to subside.
A Cevipof poll conducted early last month showed that 65 per cent of adults planned to get vaccinated, up from 48 per cent in February.
"I am fully convinced that we are going to see a lot of people getting vaccinated," Professor Alain Fischer, the immunologist who heads the government's vaccination advisory board, said on Monday.
The government is hoping that the 76.7 million vaccine doses that it is expecting to receive this month will help it to meet demand.
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25.4m Number of people in France who have received a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine so far, representing about 38 per cent of the population and nearly one in two adults.
But with only around 500,000 appointments available each day, many people have to travel outside their town or region to secure coveted Pfizer or Moderna shots.
Shots of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, for which the number of takers are few, are open only to those who are 55 or older, after rare cases emerged of deadly blood clots in a very small number of younger people vaccinated.
After an initially slow start to its immunisation drive in January, when it was criticised as one of Europe's laggards, France is aiming to close the gap with its neighbours.
Britain, which has led the vaccine race in Europe, has given more than 39 million people a first shot and 25 million a second dose.
Germany, which like France was slow to get off the mark, has also powered up its immunisation drive in recent weeks.
More than 49 million jabs have been administered in Europe's most populous country. That figure is expected to rapidly increase when vaccines are made available to all Germans aged 16 and above from next Monday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also said Covid-19 jabs will be offered to children over the age of 12.
In France, a third month-long lockdown that ended in April is credited with taming a third wave of infections.
The next stage of the loosening of restrictions comes next Wednesday, when cafes and restaurants will be allowed to serve clients indoors and a 9pm curfew is pushed back to 11pm.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
