Emmanuel Macron must “make a decisive announcement to eradicate” the papillomavirus this Tuesday, February 28, during a trip to Charente, according to a promise from the Elysée. Will he announce compulsory or possible vaccination in schools?
The State has given itself the mission of “eradicating” the papillomavirus and Emmanuel Macron must make an announcement to go in this direction, this Tuesday, February 28, 2023. The President of the Republic is expected in the afternoon in a college of Jarnac (Charente) in the company of the Ministers of Health and Education, François Braun and Pap Ndiaye, to “attend a vaccination session” against the infection responsible for 6,000 cancers per year.
Categorized among sexually transmitted diseases, the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes lesions and warts on different parts of the body, often on the genitals. While the very common infection is mild in most cases, it can cause cancer. However, these cancers can all be eliminated through screening and vaccination according to the World Health Organization. It is moreover on this crucial point that the Head of State must speak. While the vaccination coverage against the papillomavirus is far from sufficient with only 37% vaccination among girls and 9% among boys, recourse to compulsory vaccination or the possibility of being vaccinated in schools could be solutions considered by the government.
Is vaccination against the papillomavirus compulsory?
The human papillomavirus vaccine is not one of the 11 compulsory vaccinations in France. On the other hand, it is strongly recommended for adolescents, girls and boys, between 11 and 14 years old, before they have started an active sexual life. However, it is possible to get vaccinated against the papillomavirus in “catch-up” until the age of 19. A final deadline is agreed for men who have homosexual relations up to the age of 26.
What announcements from Emmanuel Macron on vaccination against the papillomavirus?
Little chance that Emmanuel Macron will decide to make the vaccine against the papillomavirus compulsory, remains that to “eradicate” this kind of infection, screening and vaccinations are the only means. The visit of the Head of State to a college gives an indication of the kind of announcement that can be expected, such as the possibility of being vaccinated against the papillomavirus in schools, for example.
A solution defended by Elisabeth Bouvet, president of the Technical Commission for Vaccinations at the High Authority for Health (HAS). The latest campaign concerning this infection and its risks aimed at young audiences has borne fruit. “The fact of advocating vaccination for children of both sexes from the age of 11 has been an incentive. It allows us to talk about vaccination better and to offer it better as far as doctors are concerned”, explained the expert at the microphone of France info. And to bid on the subject of colleges: “The school environment is a very favorable environment for vaccination”.
Does HPV vaccination protect against cancer?
When the papillomavirus develops into a cancerous form, the disease mainly affects the cervix in women. All parts of the genital system can however be affected, including for men in whom rectal cancers can appear. Elisabeth Bouvet listed other cancers in the tonsil or throat “that can be linked to the papillomavirus, more often in men than in women. If the infection is often transmitted during sexual intercourse, it is also transmitted by simple contact with the skin.
The HPV vaccine exhibits “excellent […] immune efficacy” against infections according to the president of the Technical Commission on Vaccinations, in particular against precancerous lesions, that is to say those most at risk.