According to a tweet from Aurélien Rousseau, director general of the Ile-de-France health agency, a 78-year-old woman is the first person to receive a Covid-19 vaccine.
Rousseau posted a photo of the vaccination on Twitter on Sunday, describing it as an “intense moment … that carries so much hope.”
The first person to be vaccinated is a former housekeeper named Mauricette. She received the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a public hospital in the greater Paris area on Sunday morning.
“I’m moved,” she said.
The vaccine was given shortly afterwards to a 65-year-old cardiologist, dr. Jean-Jacques Monsuez, given.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that:
“Following the green light from health authorities, the vaccination campaign is starting today, in France as well as in Europe.”
He added that the vaccine would be completely free and voluntary.
A dozen elderly people and caregivers are to be vaccinated on Sunday during the symbolic launch of the French vaccination campaign in the greater Paris area and in Dijon, in the northeast of France.
The European Union on Sunday launched the first phase of its mass vaccination program. In addition to France, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Spain are among the member states that started giving vaccinations this weekend.
The French government says it intends to vaccinate one million people by February, focusing on the oldest, most vulnerable and caregivers.