UKC

Just seen the results of a survey on acceptance of the vaccine.

When asked, it seems only 40% of the French would have a vaccine if one was offered. This is up from 25% in a previous survey.

Can any of our French resident members shed light on this reluctance? Maybe if a suppository-delivered vaccine could be developed.. ?

Well the president of France hasn't helped has he?

They do seem to like their suppositories

There’s been surveys galore. It was 40%, and then went all the way up to a massive 54%. Weird since they love their medicines. 

I think it's more that they love their medicines weird - and preferably diluted into non-existence.  

I'm not doubting the surveys but no one I know is planning to refuse a vaccination when its eventually offered. I've read a few articles in the French press & the reasons given seem to be a general mistrust of the government and a feeling that the various vaccines have been developed  & approved too fast to be sure they are really safe. There's also apparently a considerable N° both in France & Germany who want to wait for the Pfizer vaccine rather than the AstraZenneca which is percieved as being less effective.

Yes, I was only kidding (although homeopathy does seem very popular in France, which strikes me as odd in such a generally rational and empirical society).

I think Macron's blatantly political comments about the AZ vaccine have done a lot of damage, but apparently Germany has a stockpile of unused AZ vaccine too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/25/world/europe/germany-coronavirus-vaccine...  

IMHO it’s mostly because previous scandals (contaminated blood, mediator etc etc) have knocked confidence. Even though they have nothing to do with vaccines, people have been screwed before, difficult to forget.

The off the cuff comments you refer to had almost not been reported in France at the time. The only mention of it you could find was in a some buried AFP press release.

Funilly enough it has only very recently  been picked up by the French press to beat macron with a stick.

I have been told the same thing and that there is therefore low trust in the Gov.

Low trust in the government is basically business as usual in France. It’s just cultural. Criticising the government is basically the equivalent of taking about the weather in the UK.
 

I’ve had to convince pretty much my most of family to take it because their default position was that they would not take it just because the government or health authorities say they are ok.

The task hasn’t been helped by my grandmother recently contracting  symptomatic Covid 2 weeks after receiving her first dose...