France opts for 3rd shots, not lockdown, to fight new wave

PARIS (AP) — France has launched a plan to give booster shots to all adults, opting against a further lockdown or curfew, to help combat a worrying uptick in infections in the country. French Health Minister Olivier Veran laid out the plans during a press conference Thursday, in which he reduced the time gap between second and third shots from six to five months. Veran says France already has enough vaccines to launch the nationwide booster campaign. Veran also laid out a swathe of measures seen as tightening the screws on mask wearing in public areas and says that the country’s COVID pass will become invalid if a person has not received a booster shot within seven months of a second dose.