Posted Dec 14 2022 at 12:13Updated 14 Dec. 2022 at 12:49
It is “a positive assessment” for the vaccination against Covid launched at the end of 2020 that the Court of Auditors draws up in a report published on Wednesday. Financial magistrates emphasize the effectiveness of the vaccination operation in France between 2020 and 2022, even if the least exposed audiences, such as adolescents, are significantly less vaccinated than the rest of the population. Some 90% of French people over the age of 12 now have a complete vaccination schedule (two initial doses and a booster).
Although it took a long time to start, “vaccination has reduced the government’s need to resort to measures restricting economic activity, which are costly for public finances” and “has made it possible to reduce the number of hospitalizations” even if it is running out of steam today, points out the Court of Auditors.
The latest recall campaign, launched this fall, has so far failed, despite a slight acceleration in recent days. The Minister of Health, François Braun, launched a solemn appeal a few days ago for all French people to go and get a booster dose.
A high cost
It is difficult to estimate the bill for the health crisis if vaccination had not been put in place, but “more restrictive measures would probably have been implemented, which would have reduced the economic rebound in 2021”, notes the report.
The cost of vaccination against Covid amounts to 7.6 billion euros for Medicare. These expenses nevertheless represent “only” 15% of the entire bill charged directly to the health crisis for Social Security (screenings, sick leave, hospitalizations, etc.), which amounts to 48 billion euros between 2020 and 2022 according to this same report.
35 euros per dose
“The pooling of vaccine purchases by the European Union was a decisive asset of the vaccination campaign”, underlines the Court of Auditors. Shortly after the first vaccines were put on the market at the end of 2020, the EU countries had indeed agreed to collectively buy the doses, thus negotiating a more advantageous price. This made it possible to avoid “overbidding and eviction between countries”, notes the report, which recommends that the operation be repeated if necessary.
The Court of Auditors estimates the cost of a dose of vaccine in 2021 at 35 euros, which includes the equipment, the vaccine and the payment of dedicated health personnel. A cost which could be higher on average over 2021-2022-2023, around 50 euros, in particular due to losses of unused doses.
The establishment of vaccination centers throughout France has made it possible to make economies of scale, according to the report. The majority of vaccines were administered in vaccination centers, up to 67%, or 100 million injections out of the 150 million in total in France.
1.3 billion euros for health workers
In detail, vaccination globally cost 140 million euros in 2020, 4.6 billion euros in 2021 and 3.4 billion euros this year. The Social Security financing bill provides for an envelope of 0.6 billion euros for the year 2023. But “these first estimates present higher uncertainties than those relating to the year 2022”, warns the Court of Auditors.
The remuneration of the medical personnel who made the vaccines amounts to 1.27 billion euros for the year 2021. This additional income was provided by Medicare. In total, around 190,000 health professionals delivered vaccines last year, a third of which came from the “reserve”, that is to say retired staff, students or replacements, paid a maximum of 270 euros per day. up to a limit of 3,000 euros per month.
In addition to expenditure for vaccination in France, the Court of Auditors estimates that the aid paid for the Covax international solidarity plan reaches a total of approximately 1.6 billion euros between 2020 and 2022. This plan aims to accelerating vaccine manufacturing and ensuring fair and equitable access globally.