Raising Awareness about HPV Vaccination in Schools: A National Information Campaign

2023-09-25 08:49:00

A national information campaign is being launched this fall to raise awareness regarding vaccination in schools once morest human papillomavirus (HPV). Five health establishments were selected in Gironde to engage with colleges. The operation specifically targets the almost 20,000 students…

A national information campaign is being launched this fall to raise awareness regarding vaccination in schools once morest human papillomavirus (HPV). Five health establishments were selected in Gironde to engage with colleges. The operation specifically targets the department’s almost 20,000 fifth grade students. The Bordeaux University Hospital, the Bergonié Institute, the Libourne hospital center, the Arcachon hospital center and the Bouscat suburban hospital are concerned. The latter will cover 32 educational establishments, from the north-west sector of Bordeaux Métropole to the Médoc peninsula. Vaccination (with Gardasil 9) is scheduled to begin on October 5.

Accord parental

Before that, it is a matter of convincing as many families as possible. “As early as June, we got in touch with the colleges to inform parents before the holidays,” explains Anne-Claire Touchard, HPV nurse coordinator at the suburban hospital. This month, National Education nurses are passing the message back to the classrooms. When establishments do not have medical staff, we intervene directly. And we also join in with educational meetings. »

As this vaccination is not compulsory, parents must formally give their authorization, via a dematerialized platform. They have until September 28 to complete the form on https://demat.social.gouv.fr/commencer/vaccination-hpv-nouvelleaquitaine. “Paper versions exist for families experiencing a digital divide,” explains Anne-Claire Touchard.

At the origin of cancer

Mobile teams will travel to colleges to vaccinate volunteer adolescents (boys and girls). They will be made up of independent professionals from the region (doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists). “We are calling on local players. In Médoc, we are also working on the subject in conjunction with the Lesparre mutual clinic,” adds Eric Viana, director of the suburban hospital. A booster dose will be administered from April to June 2024 to obtain a complete vaccination schedule.

“The coverage is relevant between ages 11 and 14 because the immune system is more effective at that age, hence the target for fifth graders. In addition, we intervene before the start of their sex life. » And the nurse coordinator at Bouscat hospital insisted: “Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection. It affects a lot of people: four out of five people, men and women combined, are affected during their lifetime. To protect yourself, the condom alone is not enough. In addition, it can cause precancerous lesions, condyloma (genital warts) and cancers (cervical, ENT, penile, etc.). » Prevention is therefore decisive.

To date, the vaccination rate (two doses) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine has reached 46% for girls aged 16 and 9% for boys of the same age. This is a little better than the national average, but still insufficient compared to Australia or the United Kingdom for example.

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