French Vaccine Passes May Expire For 9Mln People In February - Health Chief

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2022) About nine million French vaccine passes may expire on February 15 unless their holders are administered booster shots by that date, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday.

"Nine million French (with two doses of a vaccine) may lose the right to a vaccine pass on February 15 if they do not receive a third dose of a vaccine. This is a significant figure," Veran told the LCI broadcaster.

Even though the coronavirus outbreak prompted by the Delta strain is nearly curbed, the Omicron wave remains active, the minister said, adding that some regions, including the capital region of Il-de-France, are expected to reach peaks in the coming days.

On Monday, France passed a controversial bill on vaccine passes, under which all citizens over 16 are obliged to complete a vaccination course and receive a relevant pass allowing access to public places, except for medical facilities.

To date, 79.8% of the French population have been vaccinated at least once, 77.9 % have been administered two doses, and around 50% have received booster shots.

France has witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases since last month, emerging with daily numbers of over 300,000 infections in January and reaching a new record-high of over 460,000 cases on January 18. As of Tuesday, the government has confirmed more than 16.9 million coronavirus infections and more than 130,000 related fatalities.