“Better” but still “a lot to do” for sufficient vaccination of adolescents against the papillomavirus, cause of several cancers: it is the diagnosis of several specialists after a second year of vaccination open in colleges.
The official assessment has not yet been communicated, but “if we reach 30-35% of new vaccinated in college and on the age group after this second campaign, it will already be a success,” Jean-Baptiste Lusignan, head of the Youth Health Pole of Crips Ile-de-France, told AFP, a member of the collective “Tomorrow without HPV”.
After the first campaign, “we struggled in the best departments to reach 20-25%”.
Vaccination, which prevents up to 90% of HPV infections, originally from cancer (uterus, anus, ENT …), is recommended in France for adolescents from 11 to 14 years old, with catch -up possible up to 26 years.
Since the 2023-2024 school year, 5th graders can be vaccinated with total management by health insurance, subject to parental authorization, in all public colleges and in voluntary private establishments.
After “an effect of novelty”, “this second year, it was more difficult to motivate colleges to relaunch HPV vaccination: some have experienced a little relaxation or have other subjects to be treated, but most have maintained it,” reports Jean-Baptiste Lusignan.
Mathilde Varrette, assistant secretary general of SNICS-FSU nurses, however evokes “a significant drop: around 0 to 6 students vaccinated per establishment, after 14 on average in the first year”.
The computerization of the forms to be completed by the parents “complicated the procedure”, and “parents do not want their child to be vaccinated out of their presence by an unknown caregiver”, according to her.
But the college campaign can count, since its start-up, an increase in vaccination against papillomavirus in town, where, beyond doctors, more caregivers can practice it (pharmacists, nurses, etc.).
Result: “FRANCE has finally crossed the 50% 15 -year -old adolescent girls vaccinated against HPV: 53% in 2023, almost 60% in 2024. It also progresses among adolescents: we went from 25% to almost 37%. There is better and vaccination at the college is a determining element”, considers the Prof. Cervico-vaginal colposcopy and pathology (SFCPV).
– “Speaking of margin” –
But “there remains a long way to go,” said Philippe Bergerot, president of the league against cancer. Because “France remains under the target of 60%, which was to be achieved in 2023, and because the real objective is 80% in 2030”, recalls Professor Carcopino.
Territorial disparities remain, southern France and overseas having the lowest HPV vaccination levels. “Territorial inequalities can be intrinsically linked to socioeconomic inequalities”, pointed out Public Health France in a study in February, also evoking “cultural brakes, especially around sexuality”.
Philippe Bergerot also observes that “not everyone is convinced of the safety of the vaccine: parents but also caregivers” and judges “essential to educate the population”.
For Jean-Baptiste Lusignan, “finally, the biggest brake is a lack of information”.
The state of school medicine also plays. “There are establishments where vaccination works better, and in a large majority of cases, it is when there are present and motivated nurses: the students were informed, the parents had answers,” he describes.
However, points Mathilde Varrette, “with a nurse for 1,600 students on average, sometimes one day in an establishment, health education around vaccination against papillomavirus is more complicated”.
In town, the cost of the vaccine – around 115 euros- can also weigh. If it is reimbursed at 65% by health insurance and the rest by a possible complementary, the advance of the costs or the absence of a mutual can constitute “a large brake”, notes Philippe Bergerot.
In Loire-Atlantique, the League committee therefore launched a device, with pharmacies, to settle the rest of the patients.
Beyond that, the cancer league “advocates compulsory vaccination” against papillomavirus. Conversely, “Tomorrow without HPV” thinks that there is “a lot of margin” of progression just with more information.
Posted on July 5 at 12 noon, AFP
