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Dr Yvon Le Flohic, general practitioner
Medical validation:
September 01, 2024
For the second time, 5th grade students will be offered vaccination against the papillomavirus at the start of the school year. A good initiative, according to Dr. Yvon Le Flohic, general practitioner.
Although it is still a matter of debate among practitioners, vaccination against the papillomavirus is still relevant. On Wednesday, August 28, the Ministries of Health and Education announced that the vaccine would once again be offered to 5th grade students at the start of the school year.
Preventing as many middle school students as possible from infection
Last year, the vaccination had a mixed “success”. While the goal was to vaccinate at least 30% of 5th grade students, only 10% of them responded. However, the vaccine is not new on the market: in France, it has been recommended for girls aged 11 to 14 since 2007 and for boys since January 2021.
The aim is to prevent HPV infection, a virus responsible for 6,000 new cases of cancer and 30,000 precancerous lesions of the cervix each year.
“Given these encouraging initial results, the vaccination campaign will be repeated this year”the Ministry of Health and Prevention had specified.
For this new edition, the cursor is set even higher. The Regional Health Authorities (ARS), rectorates and health professionals work together to ensure that the results are there. Parents, aware of this cause, also play a major role.
“A second letter will be sent to them within a few days to reiterate the information message.“, the ministry said.
Vaccination necessary? Yes, according to our expert
Although the effectiveness of vaccines on precancerous lesions of the cervix has long been debated, Dr. Yvon Le Flohic, general practitioner, is rather optimistic about the expected effects.
“Until now, we had assumptions about the effectiveness of this type of vaccine, but the latest data from the Nordic countries show that the first cohorts of vaccinated people – dating back about ten years – show a decrease in cancer lesions, particularly in women of age to have a first vaccination. smear. On the other hand, the impact on the number of cervical cancers cannot yet be measured since these are long-term cancers… but the results will not be long in coming. They should be seen within about fifteen years” confirms the doctor.
On the expected effects, precisely, the general practitioner wants to be enthusiastic.
“We hope for a reduction in the overall circulation of papillomavirus and certain ENT cancers. However, certain factors could affect the impact of this vaccination, and the number of cervical cancer lesions, such as alcohol and tobacco.”
Another essential and yet little-reported piece of information: the impact of vaccination on the medical journey.
“Vaccination will bear fruit in terms of the number of events avoided. By events, I mean appointments every six months with the gynecologist, laser sessions, etc. Patients who have been through this process know how not fun it is. So I would say that the benefit of vaccination will be more noticeable in terms of the number of events than the number of cancers avoided.“, the doctor concludes.