Immunisation is the most effective public health action. Besides the individual protection if offers, it presents a collective value as well because, for many vaccines, it helps to protect the people who cannot be vaccinated.
Amongst industrialised countries, only France and Italy still have compulsory vaccination.
In order to assess whether a change in legislation would be appropriate, the French High Council of public health (HCSP) has analysed the French situation. It has taken into consideration: the vaccinations currently compulsory in the general population which, to date, are limited to children; the paradoxes and problems generated by their implementation as well as the concerns that vaccination coverage could drop for both the compulsory vaccines as well as recommended vaccines combined to compulsory vaccines.
The HCSP considers in particular that:
maintaining or withdrawing compulsory vaccinations in the general population is a matter of societal choice worthy of a debate which the authorities have a duty to organise;
if the principle is maintained, the list of compulsory vaccinations must be reviewed and a Notice must be issued by the HCSP;
the competent authorities should define a legal status for all vaccinations in the immunisation schedule;
any change to the compulsory vaccination schedule must be supported by strong communication by the health authorities stressing the value of vaccination and the risks of not vaccinating.
In addition, the HCSP considers that the current public immunisation provision is complex, illegible and non-egalitarian. It recommends that the public immunisation offer be reorganised, notably on the basis of free-access and cost-management, and that public immunisation centres be promoted.
The HCSP calls for a new organisation to be promoted making immunisation more accessible, and considers it necessary for the National immunisation policy improvement programme by the General directorate for health to be effectively implemented.
- Recommendation
- Europe
- France
