Vaccination coverage among children and adolescents in France: results of school-based surveys conducted from 2001 to 2004

In 2000, a three-year cycle of school-based surveys was launched in France with the aim of estimating indicators for monitoring children’s health, including vaccination coverage. The surveys were conducted in 2001–2002 among fifth-grade students, in 2002–2003 among preschoolers, and in 2003–2004 among ninth-grade students. The samples were selected using a two-stage sampling method (in the first stage, public and private schools were selected, and in the second stage, students were randomly selected within the schools). Vaccination coverage remains high through adolescence, particularly for DTPolio (80% to 96%). For pertussis, while coverage before age 6 is satisfactory (87% to 92%), the results show that the practice of administering the second DTPolio booster is often incorrect, and that coverage with five doses of vaccine during adolescence remains insufficient (57.4% at age 15 in 2003–2004, but only 17.4% of children received the fifth dose after age 11). As for BCG, coverage is excellent (99%). Regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, while coverage at age 6 for the first dose appears nearly satisfactory (93%), coverage for the second dose remains very low (24% to 61%). Hepatitis B vaccination remains the most problematic, with very low coverage rates (33% to 42%). These results highlight the priorities for improving vaccination coverage among children and adolescents: vaccinating against hepatitis B before age 13, with a focus on infant vaccination; increasing the use of pertussis booster shots at ages 11–13, as well as second MMR doses (primarily in southern and central-eastern France); and administering the first MMR dose earlier. Finally, while BCG vaccination coverage is very good, it relied primarily on the multi-puncture vaccination method, which has not been available since early 2006. (R.A.)

Author(s): Antona D, Fonteneau L, Guthmann JP, Levy Bruhl D, Guignon N

Publishing year: 2007

Pages: 78 p.

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