The National Assembly adopted Thursday at first reading a text to repeal the anti-Covid vaccination obligation for caregivers, rather than simply suspending this obligation, as planned by the government.
The bill of the deputy of the group with a communist majority Jean-Victor Castor (Guyana), presented within the framework of the parliamentary day reserved for the texts of his group, was adopted by 157 votes against 137, against the opinion of the government.
Health Minister François Braun deplored a “regrettable message sent by this Assembly to caregivers”, which will “weaken our response capacity” in the event of a new epidemic.
The text must still be studied in the Senate.
The government has already announced its desire to reinstate non-vaccinated caregivers, after an opinion issued to this effect by the High Authority for Health (HAS).
According to a ministerial instruction consulted by AFP, they will be considered reinstated “the day after” the publication of a decree scheduled for May 14.
Insufficient for Jean-Victor Castor, “the decree will only suspend the suspensions, leaving the possibility for the government” to use them again.
Its text also provides that the agents concerned “retain the right to advancement they had before the suspension”.
It was voted by the deputies LR, RN, Liot (Freedoms Independent Overseas and Territories) and the vast majority of the deputies of the left alliance Nupes present. Several overseas deputies took turns in the hemicycle to defend him.
“By preferring suspension to deletion, you are reinforcing health insecurity that these French people cannot afford”, especially in “the Overseas Territories”, where “we cannot deprive ourselves of any health personnel”, launched to the minister the deputy of Guadeloupe Olivier Serva (Liot group).
“The refusal of vaccination is the refusal of science. You are turning your back on science”, reprimanded the deputy MoDem Philippe Vigier. His colleague from the presidential majority Frédéric Valletoux (Horizons group) attacked a text which will “favor anti-vaccine sentiment”.
“Do not deprive us of protection,” François Braun unsuccessfully asked the deputies.
“I repeat the respect we have for scientists, for vaccination”, insisted in the hemicycle the national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel, while calling for the repeal, so that a possible new vaccination obligation necessarily goes through Parliament, not by decree.
04/05/2023 14:17:42 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
