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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
The government’s objective was for 30% of college students to be vaccinated against the papillomavirus (HPV). But according to the results of the vaccination campaign, only 13 to 15% of students received the injection. How can we explain such a failure? The opinion of Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.
Only 117,000 fifth grade students were vaccinated against the papillomavirus, the cause of many preventable cancers (cervical cancer, ano-genital cancer and ENT), even though the vaccination campaign was launched last October in colleges. This corresponds to around 15% of targeted students, when the government was aiming for double that.
A new communication campaign in spring
Faced with these figures, the Minister Delegate in charge of Health and Prevention Frédéric Valletoux indicated that a communication campaign would be relaunched “in spring” for the attention of parents of students currently in 6th grade, who will enter 5th grade at the next school year. Remember that parental consent is necessary for their child to be vaccinated. Vaccination is voluntary and free.
Papillomavirus: “117,000 college students were vaccinated, which represents 13 to 15%” of the target, instead of the 30% hoped for, admits Frédéric Valletoux, Minister Delegate in charge of Health and Prevention; which announces a new “communication campaign from spring”. pic.twitter.com/T6fiLWAYWm
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) March 3, 2024
The death of a schoolboy after a fall following post-vaccination illness had also caused trouble, even if the investigation by the ARS of Pays de la Loire concluded that there was no link between this tragedy and the product. vaccine.
A distrust of vaccination and an organization to be reviewed, according to Dr Kierzek
But more than the lack of communication with students and their families, Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo, puts forward two reasons which explain these disappointing figures.
- “The first reason is, in my opinion, French people’s distrust of vaccination since the Covid-19 pandemic. And more generally, public and medical speech” analyzes the doctor.
- The second reason, put forward by Gérald Kierzek, concerns more organization of vaccination. “It was decided to do it within colleges, which in my opinion is not the best place. Being vaccinated requires the support, trust and consent of the patient, in this case adolescents and their parents. The best place for this remains the general practitioner’s office.“.
For the moment, no modification of the organization is envisaged by the health authorities who are still basing themselves on the experiment carried out in the Grand-Est which had effectively made it possible to achieve the objective of 30%.