Coordinated annually at the national level by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health and Santé publique France, and led in the regions by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS), European Immunization Week (SEV) is a key event for communication and action around vaccination. It serves as an opportunity to remind the public that vaccination is the best protection against certain infectious diseases and that it is important to get vaccinated and keep vaccinations up to date. EWP also helps raise awareness about vaccination among both healthcare professionals and the general public and better communicate the issues at stake. Santé publique France is part of this effort to promote vaccination by making available the new edition of the simplified 2023 vaccination schedule and numerous other tools to increase the public’s knowledge of vaccination. The theme of EWV 2023 is “vaccination for all.”

2023 Vaccination Schedule: What's New?

• Rotavirus vaccination is recommended for all infants aged 6 weeks to 6 months, with a vaccination schedule of two doses (at 2 and 3 months) or three doses (at 2, 3, and 4 months), depending on the vaccine used.

• Seasonal flu vaccination is now available for children aged 2 to 17 years without underlying health conditions. All four flu vaccines can be used in children, but if available, the Fluenz Tetra® vaccine—which can be administered nasally—is recommended.

• From now on, in addition to doctors, certain vaccines may be prescribed and administered by pharmacists, nurses, and medical laboratories. Midwives, as well as medical and pharmacy students (starting in their third year), will also be able to administer certain vaccines.

• The 2023 vaccination schedule for healthcare professionals is available on the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s website, as well as on vaccination-info-service.fr and the simplified version of the Santé publique France website, intended for the general public.

Vaccination: Resources Available for SEV2023

With the aim of informing and promoting vaccination among the public and healthcare professionals, Santé publique France makes numerous tools available each year:

• A postcard translated into several languages and a poster of the vaccination schedule to help everyone identify the recommended vaccinations and the recommended vaccination schedule based on their age and/or situation.

• The adolescent-adult vaccination record to track one’s vaccinations.

• The brochure “Understanding Vaccination” provides simple answers to key questions about vaccination and summarizes vaccine-preventable diseases.

• Posters to raise awareness about various vaccination-related topics (vaccination in general, measles, etc.).

• Educational videos and expert videos available on the vaccination-info-service.fr website and on the Santé publique France YouTube channel to inform the general public.

SEE ALL TOOLS

Also available in the “accessible” collection are several documents and videos designed to make vaccination information accessible to everyone:

• The brochure and poster “Vaccines for All Ages,” which present the updated vaccination schedule in the form of a timeline.

• The brochure “Understanding Vaccination,” which provides extensive information to help people understand vaccination through short, simple texts and illustrations.

• Videos designed specifically for these audiences are made available to healthcare professionals to assist them in conveying information, along with videos in French Sign Language (LSF) covering all vaccinations.

Santé publique France: A Leading Advocate for Vaccination Information and Promotion

Santé publique France is closely involved in the vaccination policy led by the Ministry of Health and, as it does every year, contributes to initiatives carried out as part of European Immunization Week.

In addition to epidemiological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases, monitoring and evaluating vaccination coverage, and managing strategic vaccine stockpiles, Santé publique France carries out several missions in the field of prevention and health promotion:

• generating knowledge on public and healthcare professional acceptance of vaccination to guide initiatives aimed at promoting vaccination among these groups;

• providing information on vaccination and promoting it to restore and maintain confidence in vaccination;

• identifying and promoting evidence-based interventions to improve vaccination coverage and move as close as possible to the targets set by the WHO.