Around fifty learned societies, associations and groups want HPV vaccination to be possible for everyone up to 26 years old.
- HPV vaccination is currently only possible up to the age of 26 for men who have sex with men.
- Around fifty learned societies, associations and groups are asking to extend this possibility to all young French people.
- “We call on health authorities to open up HPV vaccination up to the age of 26 in order to protect all our younger generations against cancers (cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, ENT) and preventable diseases” , we can read in their press release.
Currently in France, HPV vaccination is only possible up to the age of 26 for men who have sexual relations with men.
In an open letter, around fifty learned societies, associations and groups ask to extend this possibility to all young French people in order to accelerate the elimination of cancers linked to papillomaviruses.
“We call on health authorities to open up HPV vaccination up to the age of 26 in order to protect all our younger generations against cancers (cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, ENT) and preventable diseases” , can we read in their press release.
HPV: what are the arguments in favor of vaccination for everyone up to 26 years old?
To support their request, several arguments are raised by the collective:
– each year, 250,000 young girls and more than 350,000 boys turn 20 and will no longer be able to benefit from HPV vaccination.
– There is a cumulative backlog of 4 million unvaccinated people aged 20-26, a population which has suffered from significant vaccine distrust and which has not been able to benefit from the recent measures put in place in France to allow access and easier information on HPV vaccination.
– Vaccination of all young adults up to 26 years of age would also ensure gender equity and the desexualization of HPV vaccination.
The signatories also provide scientific data to justify their approach. “A recent study shows that 35% of men between 25 and 29 years old are infected with HPV2. This is the age group in which the prevalence of HPV infections is highest. Therefore, it seems essential to us to prevent this peak of infection by vaccinating men and women up to the age of 26”, they write. “Moreover, the effectiveness of vaccination in this age group has been studied and proven. In Sweden, women vaccinated between the ages of 20 and 30 had a 62% reduced risk of developing cervical cancer in comparison of unvaccinated women”, they add.
HPV: where is the vaccination campaign in colleges?
“The elimination of cancers and diseases linked to HPV is within reach in France”, finish the experts. “The year 2023 undoubtedly marks a turning point in the HPV vaccination program in our country, with the establishment of a solid and sustainable vaccination pathway”, they conclude.
According to the latest figures obtained yesterday by AFP, around 10% of 5th grade students have received their first dose of vaccine against the papillomavirus.
