France refuses to reinstate unvaccinated health workers

PARIS – Citing the advice of the country’s National Health Authority (HAS), the French government refused yesterday to allow health workers not vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to the workplace, Health Minister Francois Braun said.

Xinhua quoted a press release, issued yesterday, as HAS saying it supports the maintenance of the vaccine mandate and recommends that the government deny reinstatement to such health workers.

Compliance with the vaccine mandate guarantees “better protection of people treated or accompanied”, HAS said. 

In its recommendation, the authority cited the alarming spread of Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 and the efficacy of the vaccines.

“We will follow the opinion of scientists,” Braun said.

Since last year, medical workers in France have had to get vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to be allowed to work in health establishments. A few thousand of them have been suspended for failing to obey this rule. – Bernama, July 23, 2022