Macron: Vaccination against Corona May Become Mandatory in France

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that vaccination against the  COVID-19 may become mandatory in France over the period to come.  But he said that this is not a priority at the moment.

Macron’s statements came in the context of an interview with the French television stations "TF1" and "LCI".

And in response to a question about whether vaccination could become mandatory in France,   Macron replied: This hypothesis exists.

However,  the French president quickly added that France actually did so.

With nearly 90 percent of those eligible to receive the vaccine in France already vaccinated, he said, the country is no longer far from the level of vaccination that can be achieved by making the vaccine mandatory.

France, like the rest of its neighbors and other countries of the world, is trying to find ways to contain a new increase in infections caused by the deadly virus.

The average of new infections in France over seven days was the highest since November 2020.

The French authorities want to speed up the pace of vaccination against the Coronavirus before the start of the Christmas season, with the increase in infections with the virus and the increasing number of COVID-19 patients who need medical care.

"People can celebrate Christmas normally, but we must respect the rules, and get vaccinated," French Prime Minister Jean Castix told France Bleu public radio during an interview in the Alsace region late Friday night.

With more than 48 million of France's 67 million population fully vaccinated against the COVID-19, and with tens of thousands registered to receive the first or booster doses, the country can manage to get through the festive season without additional restrictions on public life, the Prime Minister said. ".

The French government is discussing whether it will join other countries that have allowed vaccinations to be given to children aged 5-11 years.