The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommended on Wednesday July 13 to extend the administration of a second booster dose of vaccine against Covid-19 to pregnant women and people under 60 with comorbidities.
“In a context of epidemic recovery characterized in particular by the circulation of the BA.5 sub-lineage of Omicron”, HAS considers it necessary «expand the administration of an additional booster dose (2e reminder or 4e dose most often) to adults under the age of 60 identified as being at risk of a severe form of Covid-19, to pregnant women and to people living in the entourage or in regular contact with immunocompromised or vulnerable people”.
This opinion, published in response to a referral from the Directorate General for Health, takes into account the “latest available data, and in particular French epidemiological data, data concerning current vaccination coverage of the most vulnerable populations and vaccine efficacy data on circulating variants”specifies the HAS.
Three to six months between two doses, depending on the case
An additional booster dose is already recommended for people aged 60 and over, immunocompromised people of all ages, and high-risk children and adolescents.
The HAS also recalls the time limits to be observed between two booster doses: three months for people aged 80 and over, residents in nursing homes or long-term care units and immunocompromised people; six months for the others. Finally, for everyone “if a SARS-CoV-2 infection has occurred after the last dose, an additional booster dose is still recommended, respecting a minimum period of three months after infection”.
The World Health Organization in Europe had already recommended a second booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday for vulnerable people, in the face of the rise in cases on the continent. In France, the president of the Scientific Council, Jean-François Delfraissy, predicted on Monday the peak of the seventh wave for the ” next week “ in Ile-de-France.