French health workers not vaccinated against Covid-19 will be 'reintegrated mid-May'

Caregivers who had been suspended in 2021 for not being vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to be reinstated 'mid-May', France's health minister announced.

"These caregivers will be reinstated. In recent weeks, I have brought together all the parties involved, because I want the reintegration to take place, but under good conditions", explained French Health Minister François Braun in an interview published this weekend in Le Pays Briard newspaper.

This decision follows the green light of France's Health body (HAS) given at the end of March to the lifting of the obligation to vaccinate against Covid-19 for health workers and other professionals concerned. 

"The non-vaccinated are not necessarily expected with flowers in every department and everywhere. The instruction is ready. I will sign it at the very beginning of next week. The implementation decree will be issued in mid-May," he said.

The French government had opted for mandatory Covid jabs at the end of the summer of 2021: the obligation to vaccinate was required of 2.7 million people, not only nurses but also hospital and retirement home staff, ambulance drivers, home helpers and firemen.

In September 2021, thousands of health workers across France were suspended without pay for "failing to get vaccinated against Covid-19".

Many nurses in particular had been reluctant to get vaccinated, citing safety or efficacy concerns.

"This is a very small, even marginal, phenomenon," according to the ministry, which estimated in March that the proportion of hospital workers still concerned was "around 0.3%". 

The same applies for liberal health workers as, in mid-March, the health insurance system counted less than 2,000 of them suspended.