Paris, Jul 23 (IANS): Citing the advice of the National Authority for Health (HAS), the French government has refused to allow health workers not vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to the workplace, Health Minister Francois Braun said.

In a statement, the HAS had said it supported the maintenance of the vaccine mandate and recommended that the government deny reinstatement to such health workers, reports Xinhua news agency.

Compliance with the vaccine mandate guarantees "better protection of people treated or accompanied", the Authority said.

In its recommendation, the HAS cited the alarming spread of Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 and the efficacy of the vaccines.

"We will follow the opinion of scientists," the Health Minister said.

Since last year, medical workers in France have had to get vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to be allowed to work in health establishments.

A few thousand of them have been suspended for failing to obey this rule.

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