I'm in the weeds reading vaccine requirements for France- help!
 

Can you help me figure something out?

The French government website says:
“People aged 18 or over who wish to enter French territory must have received a booster dose of an mrna vaccine no later than 9 months after the last required dose to be considered fully vaccinated.”
I'm reading this technically to mean that the booster must have been received within 9 months of the 2nd shot. Even though this makes no sense, that's kind of what it says. however, I am seeing a lot of travel articles interpret the rule this way:
“This means that all persons who have been vaccinated more than nine months ago are considered unvaccinated…”. This of course makes more sense- they want you to have had a booster within the last 9 months.But that’s not what the French rule says! Am I losing my mind or can someone explain this better to me?
Thank you!

I read it like this: the third shot must be no more than 9 months after the second shot, whenever that was. I would not worry about those travel articles, they have their own interpretation. Go by the wording on the website. For me the rule is pretty straightforward.

Lavandula

It is very straightforward. You need to have had three shots, where the third "booster" shot is an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) and was given no later than 9 months after your second shot, regardless of what type of vaccine that was.
It is the same rule throughout the EU I believe.

If your booster was given later than 9 months you are considered not fully vaccinated.

I am sorry, but his is incorrect and this interpretation has been the source of great confusion.

Within the context of someone's living in France, to maintain continuous, fully vaccinated status, dose 3 (which must be a mRNA booster), must be received within 9 months of dose 2. If one does not obtain a booster within 9 months of receiving dose 2, he loses his fully vaccinated status, until dose 3 is received, (actually it is 7 days after having received dose 3).

9 months is composed of a mandatory 6-month wait to qualify for dose 3, and a 3-month grace period within which dose 3 must be received to maintain fully vaccinated status. If someone receives dose 3, 1 year after dose 2, he is not forever disqualified from being fully vaccinated. Everyone receiving dose 3 (with a mRNA vaccine) is fully vaccinated within French rules, and I believe this definition is adopted EU wide.

And thus the confusion. Sarastro, your explanation makes logical sense, but it would be nice if the government made that clear. It does not say that at all in the documents. It would make no sense if you miss the 9 months by a week that you are forever considered unvaccinated. I just wish there was some clarification in offical documents.

But this interpretation, though understandable, makes no sense. If I get the booster 9 months and 1 week after the second shot, and then get a second booster last month, I would still be considered unvaccinated under this interpretation. Even though I would be "More" vaccinated than most. It's not clear at all.

Its not clear because you are trying to use your interpretation of what "more vaccinated" means.

But the French government does make it clear.

Here is what it says:-The vaccination schedule is considered complete 28 days after receiving one dose of Janssen vaccine, seven days after a second dose of other vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (namely Pfizer/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield) and, for persons who have received all the required doses of a WHO-licensed vaccine not approved by the European Medicines Agency, seven days after receiving an additional dose of a duly approved mRNA vaccine.

Since 1 February 2022, in order for their vaccination schedule to continue to be recognised as complete, persons aged 18 years or older wishing to enter French territory must have received a booster dose of messenger RNA vaccine no later than nine months after receiving the last mandatory dose.

Furthermore, it says this which you can google translate if you don't understand French:-

Depuis le 15 février 2022, toutes les personnes de plus de 18 ans et un mois doivent avoir fait leur dose de rappel au plus tard quatre mois après leur dernière injection1 pour conserver leur certificat de vaccination valide dans le « pass vaccinal ». Les personnes sont éligibles dès trois mois après leur dernière injection et disposent donc d’un mois pour faire leur rappel. Au-delà de ces délais, leur ancien certificat de vaccination est considéré comme expiré et n’est plus valide. Néanmoins, le « pass vaccinal » pourra être réactivé dès lors que la personne aura fait son rappel de vaccination.

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/covid-...ational-travel

Balthy, in your opinion, does the part you presented in French state that even though you lose vaccinated status if you dont get your booster in 9 months, you get it back once you get the booster?

I have put this paragraph through Systran for the convenience of others since not all browsers translate:

Since February 15, 2022, all persons over 18 years and one month of age must have completed their booster dose no later than four months after their last injection1 to keep their valid vaccination certificate in the "vaccine pass". Individuals are eligible as early as three months after their last injection and therefore have one month to recall. After these deadlines, their old vaccination certificate is considered to have expired and is no longer valid. However, the "vaccination pass" can be reactivated once the person has made his vaccination booster.

Lavandula

So what if your second shot was 5 months ago? You'll be ok and wouldn't need a booster, right?

The statement means exactly this: Everyone receiving dose 3 (with a mRNA vaccine) is fully vaccinated.

Thank you Sanastro and others. I'm glad this was clarified

For whatever it's worth, I returned from Paris last night and went there with three vaccinations, received at the end of December, 2020, 21 days later (January 2021) and a booster in October 2021. I didn't have any problems.

Thanks Bakerstreet. That's great to know. Hope it was an amazing trip.

Hello all,

I was researching this topic and happened to land on this post. I apologize, wanted to see if I could ask you to extend the help with the clarification. What I understand is that if you got the one dose Janssen or two doses of MRNA vaccine less than nine months ago, you'll be fine to enter France without a booster. They eliminated the vaccine pass for most places, so the requirement is to be accepted into the country, right?
So, if the traveler got vaccinated for the first time in January of this year, they could travel right now without a booster as the nine month limit has not passed yet... Is this not correct in your opinion?

Thank you very much

TL3

I'm really not sure. Look at the language Lavandula posted about a 4 month period. It's all seems quite confusing.

If you are really confused or have a special situation, ring up your nearest consulate. I just did this for Belgium as my teenage daughter, only vaccinated twice as is mandatory where we live, seems to fall through the cracks in the Belgian rules. The consulate wasn't sure but gave me a number to call in Belgium. I am sure France would have the same capacity, they want people to come and will be able to interpret the rules for you.

Lavandula

Hello,
Yes, I'll reach out to the consulate and ask. Thank you very much

Does anyone feel sorry for these consulates? From the French government link previously provided:


Again, here is the link to the government information:

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/covid-...ational-travel