Question: I was booked to get my booster but then I caught Covid now. I’m recovered now but they say I can’t get a booster at the moment – so how do I keep my health pass activated?

As more and more of us catch the virus, many of you have been asking whether or not getting infected means that you have to get a booster dose to continue using the health pass – something that is required if you want to access venues like bars, restaurants, museums and if you want to use long-distance trains.

As a general rule, the French government considers one bout of Covid as the equivalent to receiving one dose of vaccine. But the true answer to this question depends on what point in the vaccination course you were infected and what kind of vaccine you received. 

Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca

If you were infected before getting vaccinated you receive just a single dose of the double-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca) and can then get a booster on the normal schedule.

Booster – If, however, you received two doses of vaccine and then caught Covid (the case for many people at the moment), you become eligible for a booster dose three months after infection – you will then be considered fully vaccinated with a booster.

If you do not receive a booster dose within seven months of your infection, your health pass will expire.

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) 

If you received a Janssen vaccine, then caught Covid less than 15 days later, you should receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine four weeks after infection. After receiving this additional dose, you become eligible for a booster dose three months after your second injection. You will be considered fully vaccinated, with a booster. 

If you received a Janssen vaccine, then caught Covid more than 15 days later, you become eligible for a booster dose three months after infection. After seven of receiving this injection, you will be considered fully vaccinated, with a booster.

Proof of Covid recovery

You can use a positive Covid test that is more than 11 days old but less than 6 months old as proof of recent recovery from Covid. This can be either a PCR or antigen test, but not a home test kit.

How to keep health pass activated?

If you’re approaching the limit for getting a booster, your health pass will send you a warning that it is about to deactivate.

If you’re unable to get the booster before the health pass expiry date, you can instead upload your positive test result to the Tous Anti Covid app. 

When you receive a positive Covid test in France, you will normally be given either a piece of paper with a QR code that you can scan into the app directly, or receive a link by email or SMS to download your result. You can then scan the code into Tous Anti Covid.

Alternatively, there is a website where you will able to find proof of your test result – there is a function on the site which allows you to import the result into your TousAntiCovid app. Some have reported significant delays when it comes to this website displaying results. 

Positive Covid tests at least 11 days old can be used to gain entry to all health pass venues for six months. During this time, you can still get a booster dose if you fit within the timelines described above. 

If you do not use the app, you can instead show a positive Covid test between 11 days and 6 months old, plus proof of earlier vaccinations, on paper at health pass venues.

Upcoming changes to the health pass

The government hope to transform the health pass into a vaccine pass in January. This will require full vaccination to enter various public venues. 

READ MORE What will change when France’s health pass becomes a vaccine pass?

From February 15th, anyone over 18 will have to receive a booster dose within four months for their pass to remain active.

Eligibility will continue to start at three months since the previous vaccination.  

This will leave all adults with a one month period in which to receive a booster before the pass expires. 

READ MORE When will my French health pass deactivate?

If for example, you received your second dose on January 3rd 2022, you will become eligible for a booster on April 3rd 2022 and must get the shot before May 3rd 2022 or your pass will be deactivated. 

It is not yet clear how this will impact people who are using previous infection as a replacement for vaccination.

Travel abroad

The above rules are for the domestic French health pass, which you use to access bars etc. If you need to travel abroad then you can still use proof of your recent recovery from Covid, but for travel purposes you need to download a special ‘recovery certificate’ rather than just your positive test result.