Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations in France

By Paris School of Arts and Culture
All information up to date as of 4 January 2022:

You do not have to be registered in the French healthcare system to receive a Covid-19 vaccine but you must prove that you legally reside in France e.g. a Visa, a Carte de Séjour, or proof of address (electricity bill etc.).

This guide is about how to access an additional Covid-19 vaccination injection (a booster shot) after the completion of your original vaccination scheme. In France, you must meet official vaccination requirements to be provided with a Covid health pass called a Pass Sanitaire, allowing you to enter restaurants, museums, cinemas etc. Read our guide to the Pass Sanitaire here.

This booster vaccination guide is relevant if you completed your original vaccination scheme with a vaccine authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty), Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), or AstraZeneca (Covishield).

If you compelted your original vaccination scheme with a vaccine not authorized by the EMA, you must isolate for 7 days on arrival in France and get a booster shot of an EMA authorised vaccine as soon as possible to be considered “fully vaccinated” in France and receive a Pass Sanitaire.

What the government currently says:

Booster shot/ 3rd vaccine dose

The booster shot is open to everyone aged 18 and over, 3 months after their last injection (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca), or 4 weeks after their last injection (Johnson & Johnson), or 3 months after their last positive test.

“Pass Sanitaire”

  • People aged 65 and over and people vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson are eligible to receive a booster shot from 27 November 2021 and must have proof of a booster shot by 15 December 2021 in order to keep their pass sanitaire activated.
  • People aged 18 to 64, who had their 2nd vaccine injection before 17 June 2021 are eligible to receive their booster shot from 27 November 2021 and must have received it by 15 January 2022 in order to keep their pass sanitaire activated.
  • People aged 18 to 64, who received their 2nd vaccine injection after 17 June 2021, are eligible to receive their vaccine 3 months after the date of the 2nd injection, and must receive the boost shot within 7 months of the 2nd injection in order to keep their pass sanitaire activated.
  • After your booster shot, you will receive a new QR code which will become valid 7 days after the injection. This QR code will renew your Pass Sanitaire.
  • From 29 November 2021, PCR tests and lateral flow tests must be dated within the last 24 hours to be used as a valid Pass Sanitaire.
  • At this time, we do not know what will happen if your Pass Sanitaire is disactivated, or how to reactivate it.

What to do:

  • If you can receive a booster shot in your home country before you come to France, that may be the easiest path. Otherwise:
  • Check the date of your last injection and calculate the date from which you are eligible to receive your booster.
  • Book your vaccination appointment on Doctolib.fr or on the Doctolib app:
    • There is a step-by-step guide at the end of this post.
    • Don’t be discouraged if you are scrolling through pages saying they don’t have appointments available, there may be a slot on a later page.
    • Each day new appointments are added. If you don’t get one straight away, don’t panic.
  • At your appointment you will be given a new QR code. Scan this code on the TousAntiCovid app to update your Pass Sanitaire

Doctolib Guide:

  1. Go to fr or the Doctolib app
  2. Select “me faire vacciner”

  1. Add your location (you may have to travel to receive a vaccine on your desired date)

  1. Select “reserver une dose de rappel” = reserve a booster shot

  1. Select the vaccine you need

  1. Select the date you are eligible to have your booster (See section “Pass Sanitaire” in this document)

  1. Choose your appointment time and place

  1. You will be asked a series of questions to check your eligibility e.g. aged over 12, completed an original Covid Vaccination scheme, no current Covid symptoms etc. If you meet these requirements, click “J’ai lu et j’accepte les consignes”

  1. Now login or create an account to confirm the appointment

Image Sortir à Paris. Information from Service-Public.fr

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