As the second campaign for 5th grade students begins, only 12% of parents have registered their children
© Henri Perrot/CD91
The major national vaccination campaign against the papillomavirus for 5th grade students has been renewed for a second edition. During the 2023-2024 campaign, more than 100,000 schoolchildren were vaccinated in France against this virus which is responsible each year for 6,000 new cases of cancer and 30,000 precancerous lesions of the cervix. And which, contrary to popular belief, also affects men. “And the papillomavirus does not only trigger cancer of the uterus, but also that of the anus, penis, throat and vulva, lists Cendrine Chaumont, deputy president in charge of maternal and child protection and health at the Essonne departmental council. During the first campaign which involved 101 colleges [du département, ndlr]we had the pleasant surprise of vaccinating 52% of girls and 48% of boys.” Good news that should be tempered since only 20% of 5th grade students in the department took the plunge and applied for vaccination.
A budget of 845,000 euros
And this vaccination coverage should further decline for the 2024-2025 campaign, since mid-December, only 12% of parents had given their authorization for their adolescents to receive the two necessary doses, from January 15 (a written agreement from the two holders parental authority is necessary).
-This is because vaccination against the papillomavirus must face two major obstacles. “Some parents are anti-vax and refuse all vaccines, but others are held back by the ‘sexual’ image of the virus, analyzes Cendrine Chaumont. Many tell us that there is no point in vaccinating their child since they are not having sexual intercourse, but it is when the vaccine is administered before these first experiences that it is most effective. More generally, we feel a growing discomfort in talking about sexuality or anything associated with it.”
The department, which aimed to vaccinate 30% of 5th graders during this second campaign, therefore expects to have difficulty reaching last year’s score, but is not giving up. Proof of this is that the substantial budget allocated in 2023-2024 is renewed this year: 845,000 euros, of which 84% linked to the vaccine, 13% for human resources and 3% for the purchase of equipment, such as fridges or coolers. .
F. H.
