Major Information Campaign Launched for Generalized HPV Vaccination in Middle Schools

Following the announcement by the President of the Republic, last February, to generalize vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) for all 5th graders from the start of the 2023 school year, a vaccination operation will be launched in nearly 7,000 middle schools. from October. In order to raise awareness among parents and pupils and to make this vaccination operation a success, the Minister of Health and Prevention and the Minister of National Education and Youth are announcing the launch of a major information campaign in from Monday, September 4.

Led by the National Cancer Institute (INCa), this information campaign will be deployed in mainland France and in overseas departments, regions and communities. Already informed last June of the implementation of the generalization of vaccination, parents of 5th graders will receive a kit with information including the request for parental authorization.

Vaccination against HPV is recommended by the High Authority for Health for all girls and boys aged 11 to 14 years old. It prevents up to 90% of HPV infections, which are often non-symptomatic but cause precancerous lesions and/or cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina and anus. Vaccination against HPV is one of the only existing vaccinations against precancerous lesions and cancers.

The effectiveness of this vaccine is observed in many countries where the vaccination coverage of young adults is high. For more than 10 years, more than 6 million doses have been prescribed in France and more than 300 million worldwide. As with all vaccines, the human papillomavirus vaccine is monitored by the World Health Organization, which recognizes its excellent safety profile.

Today, vaccination coverage remains well below the 80% target for 2030 set in the ten-year cancer control strategy, since it is only 41.5% among girls and 8 5% for young boys – for whom vaccination has only been effective for two years.

To take an essential step in the prevention of cancers, the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of National Education and Youth have decided to deploy a major vaccination operation which will be deployed from the month of October throughout the territory in public and private schools under voluntary contract, thanks to the mobilization of regional health agencies, rectorates, the educational community and health professionals.

Mobile teams from vaccination centers in particular will be deployed in establishments to vaccinate middle school students, after parental authorization. Two doses of vaccine, at least 6 months apart, are necessary to protect them effectively against HPV.

Find the press kit on the website of the National Cancer Institute (INCa)

Contacts presse :

Ministry of National Education and Youth

Cabinet de Gabriel Attal

Tel: 01 55 55 30 10

Email: [email protected]

Ministry of Health and Prevention

Cabinet of M. Aurélien Rousseau

Tel: 01 40 56 60 60

Email: [email protected]