Papillomavirus: widespread vaccination in 2023 for 5th grade students

Starting in September 2023, middle school students will be in class of 5^emay be vaccinated free of charge to ensure better protection against cancers related to human papilloma viruses (or HPV). This is provided for in the Social Security Financing Act of 26 December 2023, published in the Official Journal of 27 December 2023. Parental agreement is required and vaccination is not mandatory. An experiment in the Grand Est region has already been carried out for two years and has shown good results among young people attending class 5^e, the vaccination rate increased from 9% to 27% in the first year and from 14% to 31% in the second.

What is human papillomavirus?

Human Papilloma Viruses (HPVs) are very common viruses, there are more than 150 types. They can infect the skin and mucous membranes and cause benign or malignant lesions. Transmission is almost exclusively through sexual contact.

Most HPV infections do not cause damage. In 90% of cases, the infection is transient and resolves naturally within one to two years after sexual contamination. In 10% of people, the infection persists and can cause abnormalities (lesions) in the lining of the cervix. This is called precancerous lesions. These lesions may progress to cancer 10 to 15 years after infection with the virus.

The vaccine against human papillomavirus infections: for whom?

HPV vaccination is not among the 11 mandatory vaccinations but is strongly recommended for:

• All girls and also all boys aged 11 to 14 years. The vaccine is more effective because girls and boys have not yet been exposed to HPV infection.
• Catching up, for both sexes aged 15-19 years and older who have not yet been vaccinated.
• Men who have sex with men (MSM), up to age 26 years to prevent anal precancerous lesions, anal cancers, and condylomas (small warts).

What HPV vaccines are available?

Two vaccines can be used:

• a bivalent vaccine (which protects against type 16, 18 viruses): Cervarix^® ;
• a nine-valent vaccine (which also protects against type 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 viruses): Gardasil 9^®.

Vaccines are not interchangeable and any vaccination initiated with any of them must be completed with the same vaccine.

The High Council on Public Health (HCSP) recommends that any new vaccination be initiated with Gardasil® 9 vaccine for previously unvaccinated individuals.

This vaccine protects against infections caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, which are responsible for 90% of cervical cancers, 80% of anal cancers and 90% of anogenital warts (condylomas).