A First in France: The Government’s Vaccination Campaign

Building on previous efforts to promote vaccination, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health and Santé publique France are launching France’s first major vaccination promotion campaign. With a positive and inspiring tone, the theme “The best protection is vaccination” reminds us that vaccination is the most effective and safest means of prevention against many potentially serious infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles, whooping cough, and tetanus. The campaign aims to reaffirm the benefits of vaccination in order to build confidence. It is aimed at the entire population, particularly parents of young children. It will air on television from April 21 to May 11 and will be available online, on social media, and in the press.

The best protection is vaccination

Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and their partners are also heavily involved throughout this Vaccination Week. In all regions of mainland France, as well as in Guadeloupe and French Guiana, “Vaccination Information Villages” will be set up to answer questions and provide information on vaccination.

Early positive effects of vaccination mandates on population protection

Santé publique France compared vaccination coverage at 7 months of age for infants born between January and May 2018 with that of infants born between January and May 2017, for vaccinations against pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, and meningococcus C. Vaccination coverage against these infectious diseases has improved significantly, with:

• +36.4 percentage points in vaccination coverage for the first dose of the meningococcal C vaccine. It rose from 39.3% in 2017 to 75.7% in 2018. This improvement helped reduce the number of invasive infections caused by this pathogen in infants under one year of age.

• +5.5 percentage points in the use of the hexavalent vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b infections). Vaccination coverage rose from 93.1% in 2017 to 98.6% in 2018.

• +1.4 percentage points in vaccination coverage for the first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine. It rose from 98.0% in 2017 to 99.4% in 2018.

Vaccination coverage is also improving among children not subject to mandatory vaccination

Coverage for the first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among children who turned 12 months old in 2018 is 87.2%, compared to 85.0% among those who turned 12 months old in 2017 (+2.2 percentage points). The coverage rate for the first dose of the HPV vaccine (recommended) among 15-year-old girls born in 2003 is 29.1%, compared to 26.2% among girls born the previous year (+2.9 percentage points).

Parents recognize the importance of vaccinations

Just over a year after the implementation of mandatory vaccination, young parents’ perceptions and opinions regarding vaccination and its benefits are improving, according to a survey conducted by Santé publique France. The importance of vaccination for children’s health (91%) and for protecting the community (87%) is gaining ground in parents’ opinions (+5 percentage points compared to June 2018).

In the context of mandatory vaccination requirements, three-quarters of parents agree that these measures will help reduce outbreaks (77%). Mandatory vaccination is largely accepted by parents of children born in 2017 and 2018, as two-thirds of them (67%) say they support it.

Public authorities and SEV partners remain committed to working together over the long term to restore the French public’s confidence in vaccination. This campaign aims to contribute to that effort, supporting healthcare professionals in their work with patients and strengthening protection against infectious diseases.