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– The vaccination rate for children is around 5%.
One in 20 children is vaccinated against Covid-19. This is what underlines a study of the determinants of vaccination against Covid-19 in children aged 5 to 11 years published by Public Health France published on December 10. In total, only just over 320,000 children received at least one dose of vaccine between January 1, 2021 and November 15, 2023. This corresponds to 5.3% of the observed population. The vast majority (80%) are aged 8 and over. Only one child at risk in 13 is vaccinated against Covid-19, which corresponds to 7.8% of the observed population.
The vaccination rate of children is particularly low compared to that of adults. As of January 1, 2023, 94.6% of young adults aged 18 to 24 had received at least one dose according to Health Insurance. For all age categories, the first injection rate is above 90%. Among those over 75, it even climbs to 100%.
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Geographic and social disparities
The Public Health France study published in the weekly epidemiological bulletin of December 10, 2024 highlights several disparities. The childhood vaccination rate varies by region. More minors aged 5 to 11 living in Brittany or Normandy have received a dose of vaccine than those living in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Paca), Occitanie or Overseas . In Brittany, the overall vaccination rate for children is 7.8% compared to 2.7% in Paca.
Furthermore, the older the children, the more they are vaccinated against Covid-19. More than 111,000 have had a first injunction among 11-year-old children compared to only 13,000 among 5-year-olds. The study also highlights social inequalities. In the least disadvantaged families, almost 65,000 children aged 5 to 11 are vaccinated, while in the most disadvantaged households, only 45,000 are.
More generally, these figures could illustrate a national survey carried out by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) which indicated that 24.3% of parents were unfavorable to the vaccination of children aged 12 to 18, 35 .6% for 6-11 year olds and 48% for under 6 year olds.
Finally, the study reveals that the presence of comorbidities in the mother positively influences child vaccination. Additionally, children who had premature birth are also more likely to be vaccinated. “The fragile nature of these children at birth with regard to infections and the care given to them, including the reinforcement of standard vaccinations included in the vaccination schedule, probably influenced the parents' decision to vaccinate them”justifies the study.
