Cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine will be offered to all 5th graders at the beginning of the next school year.

This is great news in the fight against cervical cancer. Traveling to the college in Jarnac (Charentes), Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday the launch of a large-scale free vaccination campaign against the human papillomavirus from the beginning of the next school year. or HPV) for all fifth graders, girls and boys. “ It will not be mandatory, the parents will decide “, assured the head of the state. This measure will protect 800,000 students annually from HPV-related cancers. The latter is responsible for 30,000 precancerous lesions of the cervix and about 6,000 new cancer cases in women and men annually. These are mainly cervical cancers (2,900 cancers that cause more than 1,000 deaths per year), as well as cancers of the anus, ENT, vulva, vagina or even the penis. However, there is an extremely simple and effective way to protect against it: vaccination.

The President of the Republic, accompanied by Ministers of Health and Education Francois Brown and Pope Ndiaye, spoke with college students who participated in an awareness session on vaccination against papillomavirus. An exchange that raised many questions and demonstrated a great need for information and education. “ Vaccination remains one of the most effective means of prevention, you should not be in any mood, said the head of state. We have hindsight, we know that the HPV vaccine is effective and safe. »

Thanks to vaccinations, some countries are even on the way to overcoming this cancer. This is the case in Australia, where vaccination rates for cervical cancer-causing HPV have fallen from 22.7% in 2005-2007 to 1.5% in 2015 among young women aged 18-24. And the country may even succeed in eliminating cervical cancer within fifteen years.

In France, vaccinations have been recommended for girls since 2007 and 1^eh January 2021 for boys. Recommended for ages 11 to 14 with a two-dose schedule (six months between doses). Why vaccinate against this sexually transmitted virus so early? Because it is more effective. when it is administered before the onset of sexual activity, the protection provided by the vaccine is about 100%.

For those who missed the boat, it’s possible between ages 15 and 19 with a three-dose injection. For young people who are too old to take advantage of the vaccination campaign in the 5th grade, the head of state promised. “ easier and cheaper access to vaccinations ». Now their vaccine can be administered not only by the attending physician, but also by pharmacists, midwives and nurses, and the remaining costs will be reduced.

Four days before World Papillomavirus Disease Awareness Day, France is therefore involved in the fight against HPV prevention. There is urgency because France is too late. Today, vaccination coverage remains low, with only 37% of girls vaccinated and an even lower rate for boys (9%). “ France has one of the lowest vaccination coverage in Europe »says Sophie Vaux, Coordinator of the Immunization Coverage Monitoring Program at Public Health France. “ It remains well below the targets of the 2014-2019 cancer program, which set a coverage target of 60. %, or the latest cancer plan (2021-2030), which aims to cover 80 % in 2030 »– he continues.

This delay is due to several reasons. On the one hand, the cost of the vaccine ranges from €95 to €116. If Medicare reimburses 65% and the rest is covered by mutual insurance, prepayment of costs or lack of mutual insurance can slow down. On the other hand, HPV vaccination is called “opportunistic” in the sense that it is the teen or their parents who meet with the doctor for the vaccination. Hence the desire to generalize the school campaign. A two-year school experiment at Grand Est has shown good results among fifth-grade youth; vaccination rates increased from 9% to 27% in the first year and from 14% to 31% in the second.

Finally, there is still some mistrust of vaccinations in France. The Covid crisis has clearly demonstrated this, particularly with the presence of a hostile “anti-vax” fringe. In late 2013, a complaint was filed against Gardasil in France, accusing (falsely) Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s HPV vaccine of being associated with multiple sclerosis, lupus, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the central nervous system), and macrophage inflammation. disease that leads to muscle pain and chronic fatigue). But the investigation was dropped and the ANSM assured that HPV vaccines do not cause it “ lack of general risk of autoimmune diseases ». It noted an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome, but in a limited proportion of 1 to 2 cases per 100,000 vaccinated girls. Rare cases that absolutely do not question the risk-benefit balance of vaccinations.