Vaccinations in France
Mandatory and recommended For Adults and children
Did you know that immunization currently prevents 2 – 3 million deaths every year !
Vaccines allow you to protect yourself and others against diseases by preventing it to spread to those around you; especially to fragile people (chronically ill, pregnant women, babies, elderly people).
Vaccination is an act of individual and collective protection. It is essential that the entire population become aware of the significance of this gesture.
By receiving a vaccine, that is, introducing a harmless pathogen; the body stimulates its immune system by recognizing the virus or bacteria that caused the disease and will directly neutralize the virus or bacteria once it meets again.
Vaccination is a preventive measure to avoid serious infectious diseases or potentially serious or fatal complications for which there is often no treatment.
11 Obligatoires/Mandatory Vaccinations in France :
In France, the Ministry of Health sets the immunization schedule each year, including mandatory and recommended vaccinations for each segment of the population. High immunization coverage (routine vaccinations, targeted vaccinations, and massive information campaigns) reduces the incidence of disease and helps to eradicate diseases.
For infants born on or after January 1, 2018, vaccinations against DTP/Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Coqueluche/Whooping cough, Haemophilus B, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, Meningococcal C and ROR/Measles, Mumps, Rubella diseases are mandatory.
Recommandé/ Recommended Vaccinations in France :
Even though the French government considered that it was no longer necessary to make them compulsory, recommended vaccines: BCG-Bacille de Calmette et Guérin, HPV/Human papillomavirus Vaccination, Grippe/Influenza, and Zona/Shingles are just as important, effective and indispensable. They also make it possible to fight against serious and deadly diseases.
What are the mandatory vaccines for workers ?
Certain vaccinations are compulsory for various health professionals and students of the health professions, laboratory personnel, sewer workers, veterinarians, personnel working in medical transports and in nutrition, embalmers, etc. These are the mandatory immunization: against Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis and Hepatitis B.
Are there any contraindications to vaccinations ?
Although very rare, the most frequent contraindications are:
- the presence at the time of vaccination of an acute illness with fever;
- a known serious allergy to any of the components of the vaccine;
- a serious allergic reaction during a previous injection of the vaccine.
But if you are pregnant ?
Vaccination protects the pregnant woman and unborn child from potentially serious diseases such as whooping cough, influenza, measles, rubella, or chickenpox. For more information, do not hesitate to ask your doctor, pharmacist or midwife for advice.
Who pays the vaccines and their injection?
The injection of the vaccine is taken care of by the Securité Sociale under the usual conditions. It is refunded:
- 100% if a person has a declared long-term condition (ALD), if a person is pregnant, if the immunization is performed in maternal and child protection centers (PMI) and vaccination centers.
- 70% if the doctor or midwife vaccinates you during a consultation;
- 60% if it is a nurse who vaccinates you, on medical prescription.
What if you refuse mandatory vaccination ?
The specific penal sanction for the refusal of mandatory vaccination was abolished in France. But because not getting your child vaccinated puts him/her and others at risk, compromising their health or contaminating other persons with diseases that could have been prevented by vaccination, you can still be prosecuted.
Finally, If you are about to travel,
Some vaccines for Typhoid, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Tick-borne Encephalitis are recommended in some countries. In general, vaccination against Hepatitis A is strongly recommended for any stay in a low-level health standard country. So don’t forget to check out the most recent world immunization chart.
Roll up your sleeve for the vaccine. Let’s eradicate diseases so lives can be saved !
– Clinician Nancy🍀
Textes de référence :
- Ameli
- ARS
- Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé
- OMS France
- Santé Publique France
- Vaccination Info Service
- vaccineswork.org (photo grab)