Useful information: Medical Center news, latest BCP measures, training on remote working practices, logistical information

Institut Pasteur Medical Center approved as a COVID-19 vaccination center for the 15th arrondissement of Paris

The Institut Pasteur Medical Center (CMIP) has been approved as a COVID-19 vaccination center for the 15th arrondissement of Paris, together with the local town hall. Since Monday January 18, the Medical Center's missions have been extended to include vaccinating the general public against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in accordance with the vaccine strategy drawn up by French health authorities.

This first phase of vaccination, currently performed with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine (Comirnaty®) in line with the national priority schedule, is aimed at people living in the 15th arrondissement of Paris and Institut Pasteur staff with the following priority profiles: people aged 75 or over, healthcare professionals over the age of 50 and vulnerable patients at high risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19.

Find out more about vaccine priorities

Priority vaccine categories for vulnerable and high risk individuals are determined by the French Steering Committee for Vaccine Strategy (COSV). People in these categories (including Institut Pasteur staff) should obtain a medical prescription from their family physician, which will be taken into consideration in addition to their age (which remains the primary criterion).

This applies to:
1.   individuals with cancer and hematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy;
2.   individuals with severe chronic kidney disease, including patients receiving dialysis;
3.   solid organ transplant recipients;
4.   allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients;
5.   individuals with multiple chronic diseases with dysfunction of at least two organs;
6.   individuals with specific rare diseases who are particularly at risk in the event of infection (specific list drawn up by the COSV and rare disease healthcare bodies);
7.   individuals with Down syndrome.

Those coming to the Medical Center to be vaccinated should bring their Carte Vitale (French healthcare card), their ID card and if applicable a prescription or letter from their family physician with a specific vaccine indication. Healthcare professionals should also bring their Carte de Professionnel de Santé (CPS – healthcare professional card).

The Medical Center has initially planned to vaccinate 100 to 150 people a day. This capacity may increase depending on the vaccine stocks provided and the human resources that can be allocated to vaccination. To date, between Monday (when vaccination started) and Thursday evening, more than 450 people have been vaccinated by the Medical Center's teams.

An additional supply of vaccines has been requested specifically for Institut Pasteur staff who are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their work, but these additional doses have not yet been provided by health authorities.
The Medical Center's participation in the national effort to vaccinate the general population against SARS-CoV-2 reflects the Institut Pasteur's commitment to tackling the virus.

Vaccinations began on January 18 at 2pm; they are carried out from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6.30pm.
Appointments, including for Institut Pasteur staff with the priority profiles indicated above, can be made in various ways (please note that appointments cannot be made in person):

• by telephone: within Paris, dial (0)3975 (don't forget to compose the "0") to reach the dedicated telephone platform;

• online: on the sante.fr website, where you will be redirected to the Doctolib centralized platform, or directly on the Doctolib appointment platform.

New BCP measures following the announcements by the French government on January 14

As announced by the French government Thursday January 14, the development of the COVID-19 epidemic situation across France remains a cause for concern. Preventive measures are being stepped up since Saturday January 16 in an attempt to reduce the circulation of the virus and ease the pressure on hospitals.

The BCP Committee is therefore adapting campus access measures as follows:

• 6pm curfew extended to the entire country:
- Staff who already had an exemption certificate (attestation) for the previous curfew starting at 8pm automatically received a new certificate that has been adjusted for the new curfew start time (6pm-6am).
- For those without a certificate, a new SurveyMonkey survey has being sent out so that the Human Resources Department can identify which staff need to work during the new curfew times.
- We would draw your attention to the fact that these certificates will only be issued in exceptional circumstances, with the agreement of your manager. They will be provided exclusively for staff whose work requires them to be on campus between 6pm and 6am (for example on-call staff, the Central Animal Facility, the CNRs, the CIBU, etc.).
- We would remind you that you may only come onto campus at weekends to carry out essential laboratory procedures and that you should make sure you are not working on your own in a laboratory for safety reasons.

• Campus opening times have been adapted accordingly:
- Campus is accessible for pedestrians and vehicles between 6am and 6pm. Outside these times (between 6pm and 6am), only staff with an exemption certificate is permitted to enter and leave the site.
- We would advise staff on site to make sure they leave campus early enough to get home by 6pm at the latest, unless they are unable to do so for a specific reason associated with their work.

• Strengthening of protective and distancing measures in the company restaurant:
- In the dining hall, where it is not possible to wear a mask all the time and the risk of infection is therefore higher, just 1 in 3 seats will be used (instead of 1 in 2 previously). Hygiabox units have been installed to monitor the aeration of the dining hall at all times.
- We would encourage staff to make use of the entire period in which the restaurant is open (11.30am to 2.15pm) and to minimize the time spent sitting eating.

Read the full text about these measures

• Hosting new staff from abroad: A further message will be sent out in response to the new border control restrictions introduced by the government.

As well as these immediate measures, a number of additional measures may be implemented soon.
We would remind you that the BCP measures implemented in October to reduce in-person activities on campus remain applicable until further notice:
- Avoid coming to campus unless strictly necessary
- Priority given to wet-lab research activities
- All staff who can do so must work from home
- Restrictions on external visitors
- No business trips allowed without special permission

The BCP Committee

Training on remote working practices: additional dates to sign up for practical modules

In response to the current circumstances, a series of practical half-day training modules were introduced late last year to improve remote working practices and remote team working.

Since the first sessions proved so popular with Institut Pasteur employees, the Training Center has scheduled some more online sessions.

• Being organized when working from home
- February 9, 2021 from 9am to 12.30pm
- February 12, 2021 from 9am to 12.30pm
In French
Find out more

• Remote team work
- February 9, 2021 from 2 to 5.30pm
In French
Find out more

• Boosting the visibility of your work (tools and practices)
- February 12, 2021 from 2 to 5.30pm
In French
Find out more

Logistical information

In the current context, the logistics team is working with a significantly reduced workforce. It is therefore changing its organization and procedures as follows:

• only priority shipments will be processed (COVID-19 diagnosis/research);

• the Enzymes Store will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will close at 4pm on other days;

• the VPI/PPE Store will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will close at 4pm on other days.

Please contact the Logistics Department if you require any further information.