The vaccination of secondary school students against the papillomavirus began on Monday in the 5th grade in some regions, such as New Aquitaine or Normandy, before being extended to the entire territory. Given the reluctance of some private universities to launch this vaccination campaign, the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, reacted this Tuesday before the microphone of France Inter.
“I’ll give you a scoop: we injected a vaccine, we didn’t inject the devil,” he said.
In an instruction on the organization of this vaccination campaign signed in June by the Ministers of National Education and Health, it is specified that only voluntary private establishments will be affected. However, some university principals, especially in the southwest, refuse to implement it.
“Reason will prevail”
According to the Minister of Health, the refusal of these private establishments to organize a vaccination campaign is “a major problem.”
This vaccine “protects against cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus… it may seem shocking to some, but 5th graders, everyone has heard it, whether in the public or private sector.” , he continued.
Recognizing that exempting private universities from the vaccination obligation constituted a “small blind spot,” Aurélien Rousseau expressed confidence that the affiliation rate will increase over time: “I believe that reason will win,” he stated.
The HPV vaccine, target of religious movements
This vaccine that protects against a sexually transmitted virus is the particular target of the most religious, Catholics and Muslims, who refuse to talk about sexuality with 11-year-old children.
The Secretary General of Catholic Education, Philippe Delorme, expressed in September, on the sidelines of his back-to-school press conference, “the fatigue of school directors of being constantly entrusted with additional missions,” according to his press service. .
“Establishments that can do so will organize vaccination, but, of course, there will be no national order from us,” he added.
Catholic Education is not opposed “in principle” to this vaccination, according to Philippe Delorme, who confirmed that “perhaps”, “on the margins”, some establishments will not offer this vaccine.
Promised by President Emmanuel Macron at the beginning of the year, vaccination is fully covered by Social Security and is planned in some regions, such as New Aquitaine or Normandy, before being extended to the entire territory.
Source: BFM TV
