Dr Alain Fischer, the coordinator of France’s vaccination campaign, said, “it’s good that we’re not going any faster”.
France’s progressive strategy “gives time to do things right in terms of safety, efficiency, organisation and ethics, with regards to consent”, he said in an interview with radio network Europe 1. France is the only European country where written consent is required before receiving the vaccination.
This can lead to delays in some cases where an elderly or ill person is not able to give their consent and a family member has to be contacted. Covid-19: France's vaccination rollout explained Dr Fischer said this was the good way to do it, accepting that some people have said that developing a vaccine in one year is too fast and others have said the vaccination campaign is too slow.
“There are unsatisfied people on both sides,” he said. Dr Fischer said the reason the UK has been able to vaccinate more people quickly is that it has given priority to healthcare workers, whereas France is prioritising the elderly and vulnerable. He said that there is neither a “good or bad choice” in this instance.