European Immunization Week, April 23–29, 2018 – Infant Immunization
This year, the theme of European Immunization Week is infant vaccinations. As mandatory infant vaccinations are being expanded, public health authorities and their partners are working closely with healthcare professionals and early childhood specialists to address the public’s questions. To mark the occasion, Santé publique France is releasing new data on vaccination coverage and uptake and is launching a campaign to promote the information website vaccination-info-service.fr. An educational audio press kit on vaccination is also available on the Santé publique France website.
An increase in public support for vaccination
Data from the Santé publique France Health Barometer survey, collected between January and July 2017, show that more than three out of four people (78%) say they are in favor of vaccination in general (+3 percentage points compared to 2016). The data also reveal:
a decline in reluctance toward three specific vaccinations. This reluctance is thus slightly lower than that observed in 2016: -1.8 percentage points for hepatitis B vaccination, -1.3 percentage points for flu vaccination, and -0.9 percentage points for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination;
reluctance toward other vaccinations, which remained stable between 2016 and 2017.
Support for vaccination in general
Download: For more information: presentation of data from the 2017 Health Barometer (pdf, 475.2 KB)
Insufficient infant vaccination coverage for certain vaccines in 2017
While infant vaccination coverage is high for vaccines that were already mandatory in 2017 (DTP) or those administered as part of combination vaccines (pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b), it is insufficient for vaccines recommended in the second year of life. In 2017, vaccination coverage at age 2 against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR, two doses) and meningococcal C was 80% and 73%, respectively.
The measles outbreak that has been raging in France since November 2017 thus underscores how essential a 95% vaccination coverage rate by age 2 for both doses of the MMR vaccine is to halt the spread of the virus.
Santé publique France also notes that coverage against meningococcal C decreases with age (28.4% among 15- to 19-year-olds) but reports an encouraging initial estimate of vaccination coverage for the dose of this vaccine introduced at 5 months in the 2017 vaccination schedule (39.2%).
Learn more:
A public awareness campaign to promote the vaccination-info-service.fr website
Santé publique France is launching a campaign on April 21 and running through the end of June to promote the institutional website vaccination-info-service.fr (radio, print, and digital). The goal is to raise awareness of this information site among the general public, particularly among expectant parents and parents of young children. One year after its launch, vaccination-info-service.fr has recorded over two million unique visitors and more than 4 million page views.
A new section on vaccination-info-service.fr dedicated to healthcare professionals
This section includes a wide range of regulatory, legal, and practical content, such as vaccination protocols for individuals exposed to specific risks. A number of resources to support clinical practice are also available for download. All content in this professional section will be posted online in the second half of 2018. It is designed to be continuously updated to better meet the needs of healthcare professionals.
An audio press kit to better understand vaccination
Santé publique France has created an audio press kit on vaccination. A valuable prevention resource, it includes 10 expert segments, each addressing a specific question about vaccination (Who can administer vaccines? How does vaccination work? Why were eight additional vaccines made mandatory?, etc.).
Educational resources for healthcare and early childhood professionals
Guidelines for your practice, vaccination schedules, informational brochures, posters, etc.—more than two million documents published by Santé publique France have already been ordered by professionals (+60% compared to 2017) for European Immunization Week.
To download documents on vaccination:
European Immunization Week is coordinated in France by the Ministry of Health and Santé publique France. It is implemented in the regions by the regional health agencies. Numerous national partners contribute to the success of this annual event.
