School year 2024-2025: the HPV vaccination campaign continues in middle schools

Année scolaire 2024-25, la campagne de vaccination contre le HPV continue dans les collèges

With the aim of increasing vaccination coverage against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the national vaccination campaign for fifth-grade students, initiated in 2023, will be repeated in middle schools in the fall of 2024, with some adjustments.

HPV vaccination is recommended for girls and boys aged 11 to 14. The aim is to protect against HPV infections that disappear spontaneously thanks to the immune system, but some can persist and develop into cancer, particularly HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis and throat (6,400 new cases of cancer per year in France).

Why vaccinate ?

Vaccination against HPV infections prevents up to 90% of infections, which cause precancerous lesions and/or cervical cancers and other cancers. The proportion of children vaccinated against HPV has increased significantly in recent years. By the end of 2023, more than half of 15-year-old girls (55%) and more than a quarter of boys of the same age (26%) had received at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine, thanks in part to the vaccination campaign in 5th grade classes. However, this remains insufficient to achieve the coverage objective for collective protection. This is set by the ten-year strategy to combat cancer at 80% of children vaccinated against HPV by 2030.

The 2024-2025 campaign in middle schools, practical arrangements

The national HPV vaccination campaign in middle schools initiated during the previous school year (2023-24) by the ministries responsible for health and education, has this year enabled more than 100,000 5th grade students to be vaccinated in middle schools. At the same time, more than 300,000 adolescents of the same age were vaccinated by another private healthcare professional.

Compared to the 2023-2024 edition, several changes have been made to increase the number of children vaccinated. The campaign will now be extended to all adolescents aged 11 to 14 attending educational institutions or medico-social services.

The vaccination schedule includes two doses, spaced at least 5 months apart. Complete vaccination can be carried out either during a single school year or over two school years.

Authorization from both parents is mandatory and must be obtained in advance. To this end, the consent form has been simplified, with the possibility of using a dedicated HPV form and submitting the authorization digitally or on paper.

Regarding the health/vaccination record required on the day of vaccination, a reminder will be sent to parents the day before the campaign so that they do not forget to give it to their children. A photocopy of the record or a photograph recorded on a smartphone will be accepted as alternatives. In case of forgetting the record, the vaccination can be carried out after a telephone contact with one of the parents.

An information flyer, a consent form, as well as a leaflet explaining vaccination to 5th grade students will be sent digitally or by paper mail. In addition, an information letter will be sent to all parents of 6th grade students.

A safe vaccine

As of June 30, 2024, 189 adverse events have been reported after vaccination with Gardasil 9 since September 14, 2023, including 99 during the vaccination campaign. Since the last monthly report, 31 new cases have been reported, including 6 serious cases, mainly illnesses. No safety signals have been identified.

Two HPV vaccines are available: Gardasil 9 (MSD) and Cervarix (GSK). In France, vaccination is recommended for girls and boys aged 11 to 14 with a 2-dose schedule, and a catch-up is possible between 15 and 19 years with a 3-dose schedule. Any new vaccination must be started with Gardasil 9.

More information on Gardasil 9: the MesVaccins.net website