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On the occasion of vaccination week, the authorities are highlighting the essential role of the vaccine, making it possible to better protect the health of populations, including the most vulnerable.
It’s European Vaccination Week! A highlight, dedicated to the promotion of vaccination throughout the territory, which this year has the theme “Go towards“.
8 out of 10 French people in favor of vaccination
While France has long been a bad student in terms of vaccination, the latest figures turn out to be surprisingly good.
84% of people questioned in mainland France are “favorable” to vaccination in general, with an upward trend in the proportion of people very favorable to vaccination compared to 2022.
Public Health France, whose role is to develop actions aimed at promoting vaccination, nevertheless specifies that “Vaccination adherence remains lower among people with the lowest qualifications or income, and tends to decrease among the elderly, compared to previous years..
Progress is therefore still expected.
HPV, flu: insufficient vaccination coverage
If 8 out of 10 people are in favor of vaccination in France, vaccination coverage against papillomaviruses is too low in France, according to the League against Cancer.
While the World Health Organization “recommends 90% vaccination coverage against human papillomavirus infections (HPV), it is, in France, only 41.5% for girls aged 16 and 8.5% for boys, in 2022.according to the League.
Unlike other countries such as Sweden or Australia, vaccination coverage in France therefore remains insufficient.
Same observation from Public Health France, which warns, for its part, of a decline in anti-flu vaccination.
“In adults, the flu vaccination is decreasing: it stands at 54% among those aged 65 and over during the 2023-2024 season, a drop of 2.2 points compared to the previous season. It only reaches 25% among those under 65 at risk of a serious form of influenza, a drop of 6.2 points compared to 2022-2023. Furthermore, vaccination coverage against Covid-19 is 30% among those aged 65 and over. Vaccination coverage against influenza and Covid-19 therefore remains insufficient among people with risk factors,” she specifies.
In young children, progress can be noted
Among infants, the increase in the use of vaccination continues.
“Among the newly recommended vaccines, there is a significant increase in vaccination coverage at least one dose at 8 months against meningococcus B : 75% for infants born in 2023 vs 49% for infants born in 2022“, underlines Santé Publique France in its press release. “Note that complete vaccination coverage (3 doses at 21 months) against meningococcus B reached 35%. Vaccination coverage with at least 1 dose at 8 months against rotavirus (one of the viruses responsible for gastroenteritis), observed for the first time, is estimated at 31% for infants born in 2023,” she adds. in a press release.
In fact, vaccination coverage for compulsory infant vaccinations is generally high. But the picture is not perfect, as the organization points out.
“Vaccination coverage of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines is progressing little and is still below the 95% vaccination coverage objective to be achieved with a view to eliminating measles,” concludes Santé Publique France.