Vaccines approved by EU authorities will now be securely delivered to France so vaccination can begin in care homes at the end of the week
Health minister Olivier Véran has confirmed that Covid vaccinations will begin on Sunday, December 27 in France.
In a tweet sent yesterday, he wrote: “The European Medicines Agency has just authorised the Pfizer vaccine. This week we should get notices from the European Commission and the Haute Autorité de Sante, and the first deliveries. The vaccine campaign starts in France and Europe on Sunday!”
The Pfizer vaccine, which is the only vaccine to have been approved in Europe so far, will be made in Pfizer factories in Belgium, before being escorted to delivery destinations by police escorts and drones.
Drivers, who have signed confidentiality agreements, will only be allowed to make brief stops in motorway rest areas, in order to check the temperature of their cargo.
The vaccines will then be delivered to around 100 secret storage locations, to be kept under surveillance before being given to medical professionals.
A source from Interpol told news source FranceInfo that such measures were necessary as “the vaccine is liquid gold for 2021. It is the most precious thing to distribute in the coming year. The mafia and other criminal organisations are already prepared".
Authorities are also concerned about the threat of terrorist or anti-vax attacks, which could damage the vaccines or delay distribution.
