In an interview with France Info, the immunologist Jean-François Bach delivers a not very encouraging observation of the state of vaccination in France. He deplores the reluctance of the French to be vaccinated, including among health professionals.
“People must be informed that they are both losing protection themselves, but above all they are putting others at risk.” Interviewed by France Infothe famous immunologist Jean-François Bach, also honorary perpetual secretary at the Academy of Sciences, denounces the lack of eagerness shown by the French when it comes to going under the needle.
Starting with the health professionals themselves, only 26% of whom get vaccinated against the flu. “If there are people who should be informed of the public health problem represented by the delay in vaccination, it is them”, annoys the scientist. But the problem is not specific to white coats: the general population shows a form of lightness vis-à-vis vaccination.
Uncertainty and negligence
“It’s due to somewhat diverse factors. Some fear the side effects. There, it’s a lack of information: there are absolutely irrefutable scientific facts at the international level which show that there is no side effects of current vaccines”, explains Jean-François Bach. “And there is this laziness, this negligence: we are not going to get vaccinated because we don’t have the time.”
The aluminum present in vaccines, so decried by the antivax movement, poses no or marginal risk. In 2016, the Academy of Pharmacy recalled that the “vaccine dose is negligible with regard to food, cosmetic or professional intake”. The alleged link between aluminum adjuvants and possible clinical manifestations of macrophagic myofasciitis is not established by epidemiological studies, and considered highly implausible by most experts.
The most suspicious country in the world
Rational arguments that seem unlikely to convince the population. “Unfortunately, a international survey published two years ago showed that France is the country in the world where there is the greatest reluctance for the vaccine”, notes Jean François Bach. Indeed, 41% of the French population indicated that they did not agree with the assertion that “vaccines are safe”, compared to an average of 12% in the rest of the world.
The crises that have plagued France over the past twenty years have probably not helped to maintain confidence in health institutions, from public health scandals (contaminated blood, mad cow disease, Mediator) to failed vaccination campaigns (hepatitis B in 94-97, H1N1 in 2009-10). A lack of confidence that ends up translating into a drop in vaccination coverage. With the key, avoidable deaths, as every year with the flu or the measles epidemic last winter.
.
