France under pressure to speed up coronavirus vaccine rollout

DoctorsDoctors and politicians in France are calling on the government to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccination drive, warning the current strategy risks increasing skepticism around the vaccine, reports Politico.

A letter by the National Academy of Doctors, reported in Le Monde on Thursday, said procedures like collecting consent, checking for medical concerns in a vulnerable population and observing the patient for fifteen minutes after injection are slowing the rollout.

“These excessive precautions risk ... giving rise to a growing misunderstanding of the campaign, whose kick-off seems to lack determination,” the letter read.

Fewer than 100 people were vaccinated in the first three days — far fewer than other EU countries.

Read more of this report from Politico.