Just a few days ahead International Women’s Day, France’s Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, announced plans to make reusable menstrual products reimbursable by French social security for women aged 25 and under. The prime minister’s goal is to fight against “period poverty” – the experience of lacking or being unable to afford menstrual products. "Nous allons mettre en place un remboursement par la Sécurité sociale des protections périodiques réutilisables à partir de 2024 pour toutes les jeunes femmes de moins de 25 ans" Précarité menstruelle :@Elisabeth_Borne dans #CàVous pic.twitter.com/51Y ..read more

The vaccine is currently recommended but not compulsory in France for children aged between 11 and 14. It is also offered to anyone up to the age of 19 as a “catch-up” vaccine, and for men who have sex with men up to the age of 26. But from September schools will start organising vaccination drives for pupils in cinquième (12 and 13 year-olds) in an attempt to boost take-up, although the vaccine will not be compulsory. A pilot project of school vaccination campaigns in the Grand Est region showed a boost in take-up, said the Elysée. From September nurses, pharmacists and midwives will also be ..read more

In common with many European countries, France’s health service is facing a growing number of problems, with the difficulty of finding a GP or primary care doctor top at the list for many people. The Local attended a briefing with health minister François Braun, organised by the Anglo American Press Association, to ask him what he intends to do about these issues. He told us: “The health system in France is under strain for the same reasons as other countries; people are living longer and there are more people with chronic illnesses. Banner ad “I talk to my counterparts in Europe, in the ..read more

Who is allowed to vape? The sale of vaping products is prohibited to minors under the age of 18 years old, as it is with tobacco, and shops can request ID if there is any doubt surrounding the person’s age. However, French law puts the onus on the seller – it is not illegal for a minor to purchase an electronic cigarette, but it is illegal for a shopkeeper to sell one to someone under 18. Banner ad France considers vaping products to include things like electronic cigarettes, e-liquids (or e-juices), batteries, mods and boxes, and more. Where are you allowed to vape? On a general le ..read more

France’s National Committee against smoking, the CNCT, has recommended that the country institute a ban on flavours, apart from tobacco, for all products containing nicotine. In a press release, the CNCT said that “without a rapid ban on flavours, the situation may become uncontrollable”.  The call to ban flavours aside from tobacco in nicotine products came after a three-year long study by the CNCT on new tobacco and nicotine products on the market. The CNCT, a French association that receives government support and funding from the Ministry of Health, often publishes research that is us ..read more

François Braun, France’s Health Minister, said on Monday that all chronically ill patients without a general practitioner will be contacted before the month of June with “concrete solutions”. There is a general shortage of medécins généraliste (GPs or family doctors) in France, with some areas classed as ‘medical deserts’ where people find it almost impossible to register with a doctor. The health minister said that people without access to primary care doctors are “deprived of a regular follow-up” and that this is “no longer acceptable” for those with chronic illnesses. These groups will be c ..read more

Starting on February 1st, Covid rules relaxed in France as the country brought an end to compulsory isolation for those who test positive for the virus. However, those travelling from China to France will still be required to agree to a random screening upon arrival and to isolate in the case of a positive Covid-19 test result. Travellers aged 11 and over coming from China must also provide a negative test result (less tan 48 hours) prior to boarding and those aged six and over must agree to wear a mask on board flights. These regulations – which was set to last until January 31st – is set to ..read more

The early part of the ski season in France was dominated by headlines over the lack of snow in popular mountain resorts – but, now that climatic conditions have started to improve for skiers and there is at least some snow, the winter sports season is in gearing up to hit full swing. READ ALSO Snow latest: Have France’s ski resorts reopened? Heading into the winter holiday season – French schools in ‘Zone A’ break up for two weeks on February 4th, followed on February 11th by schools in ‘Zone B’, while schools in Zone C finish for the vacation on February 18th – the government has launched an ..read more

According to reporting by Le Parisien, France’s public health body (the DGS) sent a message out to health professionals on Thursday night informing them that they had launched the campaign for children under the age of five in certain risk categories to be vaccinated against the virus. The French medical regulator (HAS) had previously recommended that certain groups of children in certain high-risk groups – such as those with serious illnesses or those living with an immunocompromised parent – be vaccinated from the age of six months. Banner ad Previously those children could be vaccinat ..read more

Randon, known as Sister André, was born in southern France on February 11th, 1904, when World War I was still a decade away. She died in her sleep at her nursing home in Toulon, spokesman David Tavella said. “There is great sadness but… it was her desire to join her beloved brother. For her, it’s a liberation,” Tavella, of the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home, told AFP. Banner ad The sister was long recognised as the oldest European, before the death of Japan’s Kane Tanaka aged 119 last year left her the longest-lived person on Earth. Guinness World Records officially acknowledged h ..read more