2024-01-19 11:42:29
Vaccination coverage once morest human papillomavirus in France remains one of the lowest in the European Union. Health professionals are warning regarding the risks to public health and the importance of also vaccinating boys.
French vaccination coverage of 28% in 2020 is almost three times lower than that of some other Member States, such as Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, where it reaches 75%. In Europe, in 2020, vaccination coverage exceeded 50% in 20 Member States and 75% in eleven Member States.
Vaccination once morest papillomavirus, which requires two doses, is not compulsory in France and it is up to parents to decide whether or not to have their child vaccinated.
“The essential question is: should we impose this vaccine or should we wait for people to come and be vaccinated? » according to Professor Richard Villet, of the French National Academy of Medicine, contacted by Euractiv.
However, the fact that the papillomavirus vaccine is not compulsory in France does not seem to be the main reason for the low vaccination rate, since it is not compulsory in any Member State, with the exception of Latvia, where it is compulsory for girls aged twelve.
The main difference is that in some Member States such as Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom or Denmark, the vaccine is automatically offered to children in secondary schools.
To democratize access to the vaccine, former Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau announced last October the establishment of a national vaccination campaign for all fifth grade students.
At the time, he indicated on X that this campaign would offer “5th grade middle school students a vaccine that prevents up to 90% of infections”although this vaccine is not obligatory.
“Although it is still early to analyze the effects of the vaccination campaign, the new Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin will have to analyze the results, whether good or bad, and will have to draw the consequences in order to plan a potential future action plan”estimates Catherine Amalric, French MEP (Renew) and member of the Committee on the Environment and Public Health (ENVI).
Vaccinate both girls and boys
The majority of people vaccinated once morest papillomavirus in France are girls: 41.5% of 16-year-old girls were fully vaccinated in 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute (INCA), compared to 8.5% of boys.
“However, it is important to vaccinate girls and boys from middle school, in fifth grade”recalls Catherine Amalric.
According to a study published in August in the scientific journal The Lancetalmost one in three men in the world is infected with at least one papillomavirus.
“Sexually active men of all ages are at high risk of genital papillomavirus infection”indicates the study.
People infected with HPV can develop cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva and anus, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, head and neck.
The virus causes 6,400 new cases of cervical cancer each year in France. Hence the need to put in place better screening programs to resolve this problem, according to Professor Villet.
“Screening is not regular in France, particularly in disadvantaged areas where there is a shortage of gynecologists”he explained regarding cervical cancer.
The reluctance of the French to be vaccinated
Another explanation is the reluctance of the French to be vaccinated, whatever the vaccine. A report from the Jean Jaurès Foundation reveals that when the French are asked if they would agree to be vaccinated once morest Covid-19, 24% respond that they probably would not accept and 19% that they would not accept. certainly not.
“These figures are ultimately not surprising as in recent years France has become one of the most skeptical states in Europe, and even in the world, with regard to vaccination coverage”says the report, published in November 2020.
According to Professor Villet, “the anti-vax lobby in France is very important and has a large audience on social networks”which encourages the dissemination of false information.
“There is a devastating role of fake news on vaccination in France”confirms Catherine Amalric.
In the case of the papillomavirus vaccine, in addition to the general reluctance to vaccinate, there is also the fact that it is linked to sexuality, which is a “brake”, according to the French MEP. There is a risk of contamination from the first reports.
There are also disparities in terms of access to vaccination in France, because “the most advantaged social groups are better informed because they have been able to ask for it”, she continues.
The issue of papillomavirus is addressed at EU level in the European Cancer Plan, launched in 2021 and considered to be “an essential pillar of the European Health Union”. This plan aims to vaccinate at least 90% of girls once morest papillomavirus before the age of 15 and to increase vaccination of boys by 2030.
“The role of the EU is to limit cross-border risk. Viruses know no borders: when populations move, exposure to a virus increases”recalls Catherine Amalric.
Before concluding : “We need the widest possible vaccination, as early as possible, of girls and boys”.
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