Vaccination continues to make the news, with the launch of a new campaign against Covid-19 and the extension of HPV vaccination to colleges. Faced with the resumption of the epidemic, the government has decided to accelerate the anti-Covid vaccination process, by priority targeting the populations most at risk. This decision follows the recommendation of the Committee for Monitoring and Anticipation of Health Risks (Covars) to access the vaccine booster as soon as possible.
The people targeted by this new campaign are those over 65, vulnerable people with comorbidities, pregnant women, nursing home residents and people in contact with vulnerable people. Anyone wishing to receive a booster will be able to do so free of charge, provided they respect a deadline of six months after their last injection or Covid-19 infection.
For this campaign, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines adapted to current variants, in particular the Omicron variant, are recommended as first line. According to Étienne Simon-Lorière, virologist and head of the National Center for Respiratory Infection Viruses at the Pasteur Institute, these updated vaccines should make it possible to better target the variants currently circulating.
At the same time, the vaccination campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV) is entering secondary schools, now affecting both girls and boys. This extension aims to protect young people against the numerous cancers caused by HPV. Each year, more than 6,000 new cases of cancer are attributed to HPV in France.
A recent study published in The Lancet showed that men are also highly impacted by HPV, with 31% of men over the age of 15 infected with the virus. One in five men (21%) carry potentially carcinogenic HPV. Thus, vaccinating boys has a double benefit, by directly protecting them against HPV-related cancers and by contributing to the elimination of these diseases in the long term.
It is therefore essential to continue to promote vaccination, both against Covid-19 and against HPV, in order to prevent infections and their serious consequences. Vaccination remains a major tool in the fight against infectious diseases and its benefits have been demonstrated by numerous studies. Do not hesitate to contact health professionals and have your children and yourself vaccinated to protect yourself and others.