France will lengthen the period between the first and second shots of mRNA anti-COVID vaccines to six weeks from four weeks as of April 14 to accelerate the inoculation campaign.
Although France's top health authority advised a six-week period between the two shots in January in order to stretch supplies, the government at the time said there was insufficient data on how well the vaccines performed with a longer interval.
France could safely do so now because it was vaccinating a younger age group, , Health Minister Olivier Veran told the JDD newspaper on Sundayd.
"(It) will allow us to vaccinate more quickly without reducing protection."
France has approved use of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
Veran also said that from Monday the AstraZeneca vaccine would be made available to all over-55s and not just those with serious pre-existing conditions.
After a glacial start, France's vaccine rollout is hitting its stride, reaching a target of 10 million first doses a week ahead of a mid-April target. The government aims to deliver another ten million first shots by mid-May.
Johnson & Johnson would deliver its first 200,000 doses destined for France on Monday, a week early, Veran said.
President Emmanuel Macron, who was forced by a spiralling infection rate and overloaded healthcare system to impose a third nationwide lockdown, is counting on an accelerated vaccine rollout to allow a gradual reopening of the country from the middle of next month.
The numbers in intensive care continue to rise and France will almost certainly cross the 100,000 deaths threshold this week. It reported over 43,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and said there were now 5,769 patients receiving critical care.
However, Veran said there were signs that a new lockdown was beginning to slow the infection rate.
"It remains very high," Veran told the JDD. "We can expect that after a period of stabilisation comes the fall. But for that, we must keep going."
Strike hits Beirut apartment block as Israel presses attacks
Six killed in Swiss bus blaze after person reportedly sets themselves on fire
Thailand's Phuket airport closes runway after Air India Express plane malfunction
US says it destroyed mine-laying vessels as Trump warns Iran over strait
Britain working with allies to support shipping through Strait of Hormuz
Wildlife to replace humans on next series of UK banknotes
Five Iranian women's soccer players granted humanitarian visas in Australia
Almost 700,000 displaced after Israeli strikes on Lebanon, UN agencies say
