On January 1, 2018, the number of compulsory vaccines for children is went from three to eleven. Infants born after this date should be vaccinated against diphtheria, the tetanus, the poliomyelitis, the whooping cough, l’Haemophilus Influenzae type b infection, infection with pneumococcus, the meningococcal C infections, l’Hepatitis B, the measles, the mumps, and the rubella, under penalty of being refused in a community (crèche, nursery assistant, school, etc.). According to a report which has just been published by the Ministry of Health, the results are good.
Increase in immunization coverage
According to the Ministry of Health, the increase in the number of compulsory vaccinations has been effective because it has increased the vaccine coverage, i.e. the number of children vaccinated, for children born in 2018, compared to those born in 2017. For example, the number of measles vaccinations increased from 86.2% to 87.6% of infants for the first dose, and that against meningococcus C from 25.5% to 75.8% for the first dose, and from 72.5% to 76.8% for the second dose at 12 months.
“The increase is all the more significant as the vaccination coverage was low in 2017. Vaccination coverage for booster vaccinations and vaccinations for the second year of life has not yet reached the 95% target. But the maximum age of children (17 months) when estimating immunization coverage may explain this result. Indeed, vaccinations can be carried out with a certain delay “, notes the report. The health authorities add that“improvement in coverage is expected as these children grow and enter the community. “
No danger of vaccines noted since 2018
When the number of vaccines was increased, pharmacovigilance was reinforced. “The results of these pharmacovigilance analyzes confirm the safety of the vaccines used. No particular signal or alert has been highlighted since January 1, 2018 “, emphasizes the Ministry of Health. Thus, of all the vaccinated babies, only 203 children from 0 to 23 months “have been the subject of a notification for having manifested one or more undesirable effects or events”. “In 2018, of the 203 notifications, 122 of them were classified as” non-serious “and 81 as” serious “, mainly general disorders, mainly of the fever, nervous system conditions like predominantly febrile convulsions and episodes of hypotonia and skin conditions, mainly rash, “said the report.
The importance of continuing to immunize children despite the health crisis
The release of this report is also an opportunity for the Ministry of Health, Public Health France and the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) to remind theimportance of continuing to vaccinate babies and children in this context of health crisis. “More than ever, and to guarantee good protection for all, parents and health professionals must remain mobilized to make up for the missed vaccinations these three last months in infants but also in older children “, say the three instances in a press release.
