"It's the Covid that kills, not the vaccine": in Lyon, vaccination is already successful

“I didn’t even feel anything“, congratulates Daniel David, 78 years old, after his injection. The latter admits not being aware of having made his appointment too early.

In this vaccination center, many elderly people have managed to anticipate the appeal via the Doctolib site, while the campaign is supposed to concern until Friday morning only priority personnel.

“Our girls made an appointment for us, because we don’t even have internet“, justified Mr. David.

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“We have the capacity to absorb non-priority people. We are not saturated with time slots“, explains Philippe Pin, director of purchasing and material resources at the Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL).”Also, he adds, keeping a tight flow can keep you from losing doses.”

“It won’t be the case every day“, qualifies Doctor Jihane Fattoum, head of the vaccination center.

In the imposing 8,000-seat sports hall, transformed since October into a Covid-19 test center, vaccination is open from Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“The people who arrive fill out an administrative questionnaire, then a health card to check if they present any risk factors and then go, if necessary, in front of doctors. Then they get vaccinated by the nurses and sit for 10-15 minutes before leaving“, details Mechtilde Bertrand, 21, a 4th year medical student, who officiates among the”switchers” of the Center.

– 500 doses per day –

Under the white tents arranged in front of the empty stands, people are vaccinated at a sustained rate in seven boxes arranged behind screens at the end of the patient journey.

“About 500 doses of the vaccine should be used each day. It should go up in the coming weeks“, explains Mr. Pin.

HCL vaccines – only Pfizer-BioNtech – are stored in -80 ° freezers at secure sites. Thawed overnight, the batches are sent every morning by the central pharmacy of the hospital group and placed in refrigerators set between 3 and 8 ° C, where they can be kept for up to six days. Once mixed with physiological liquid, these doses should be administered within 6 hours.

“I had seen on television that they were big needles threaded in the arm but I was surprised not to feel anything“, rejoices after the injection Christiane Kotov, 78 years old.”I would have liked to wait and see how it goes for those who are vaccinated, but my husband told me: + We die from the Covid, we cannot die from the vaccine +, so he is there and me too“, she jokes.

Alain Deblasi, 74-year-old former doctor, “do not understand“why some refuse to be vaccinated.”We are a grumpy people, but everyone is going to do it. Look, if I had been told that everyone would wear masks today, I would have bet 2,000 euros that they weren’t. But everyone is doing it.”

Henri Gidon, 75, also wanted to take advantage of the privilege of being vaccinated among the first, but he came without an appointment. “They told me to come back in early February“, he laments.

At the end of the course, each vaccinee takes a date for the recall in front of well-stocked counters which contrast with those assigned to screening, totally plucked on the other side of the enclosure.

“I don’t understand, nobody comes to be tested anymore, apart from a few contact cases and those who go on vacation to the Antilles“, despairs Véronique, employee of the HCL assigned to the tests pole which sees daily passing approximately 150 people, whereas in October up to 1,500 tests could be carried out daily.