How to Get a Covid 19 Vaccine Booster in France

As of January 15th, 2022, all over 18s in France will be required to get a Covid booster to maintain access to the Vaccine Pass.

The health pass is required for access to public events and buildings, including (but not limited to) bars, restaurants, museums, gyms, and long-distance public transport.

Who is eligible for a booster shot in France?

Booster shots are available to all over 18s in France.

You will be eligible for a booster three months after the date of your last vaccination (note: this has been reduced from the previous timeframes of six months and four months).

When do I need to get my booster shot?

As of February 15th, 2022, if you are over 18 a booster shot will be required in order to maintain access to France’s Vaccine Pass. Essentially, from these dates, ‘fully vaccinated’ will mean ‘three vaccination shots’ or two vaccinations for those who previously recovered from Covid (i.e. 1 x original vaccine shot + a booster).

You will become eligible for your dose within three months of your last vaccination and you will have four months to receive your booster before your pass is deactivated. If you have not received a booster shot within seven months of your final vaccination date your Vaccine Pass will be automatically deactivated.

If you use France’s TousAntiCovid app, you will receive an alert telling you when you are eligible for a booster jab. However, it’s a good idea to check the date yourself rather than relying on this. It remains your responsibility to book your booster and also to scan the QR code into the app once you have received it.

What happens if I don’t get a booster?

If the seven months pass and you have not presented a booster vaccination certificate, your Health Pass will automatically be deactivated. In order to reinstate it, you will need to receive the booster vaccine.

What happens if I catch Covid-19?

If you receive a positive Covid-19 test result in France, you will be issued a certificate upon recovery with a QR code to scan into the TousAntiCovid app. You will not be eligible for a booster vaccine until three months after the date of recovery, but this code will enable you to maintain access to the Health Pass during this period.

However, unlike with the original round of vaccinations in France, where recovery from Covid-19 counted as one dose of a vaccination, you will still need to get your booster vaccine within the seven month timeframe (i.e. within seven months of the date of recovery from Covid) to avoid your Health Pass being deactivated.

You will be eligible for a booster five months after the date of your last vaccination. However, you can book an appointment prior to this date, providing that the date of the appointment is after the five month mark.

The easiest way to book an appointment for your booster shot is online via a medical app such as Doctolib. You can also make an appointment via your GP or family doctor, or directly at one of the Covid vaccination centres (search for your closest one here).

With such a large number of the population soon eligible for a booster, it is expected that many vaccination centres will reopen and more appointments will become available, so keep checking if there are no spaces available when you first look.

Remember to take your Carte Vitale with you when booking or attending your appointment. You will also need to enter the date of your last vaccination (found on your vaccination certificate, or in ‘mon carnet’ in your TousAntiCovid app).

Booster shots are covered by your Carte Vitale – as long as you are registered for France’s state healthcare, you will not have to pay.

Can I get my Covid-19 booster and my flu shot at the same time?

France’s medical regulator (HAS) has given approval for combined appointments where the Covid vaccine and flu shot can be administered at the same time. So, if you have not yet received your flu shot, this might be a convenient option to save time.