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HEALTH

The 11 vaccines set to become compulsory in France and why French doctors are firmly in favour

Eleven vaccinations for young children will be made compulsory in France from 2018. A "short term evil for the long term good", doctors say.

The 11 vaccines set to become compulsory in France and why French doctors are firmly in favour
Photo: AFP
France's new prime minister Edouard Philippe announced during Tuesday's parliamentary address that from 2018 vaccines for young children that are unanimously recommended by health authorities will become obligatory from 2018.
 
During June, new health minister Agnes Buzyn announced that she wanted to make 11 vaccines compulsory for young children. 
 
Three vaccines: diptheria, tetanus and polio are already obligatory but from 2018 these will be joined by eight more: whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitus B, influenza, pneumonia and meningitis C. 
 
At present these vaccinations are only recommended by the state and the decision whether or not to inoculate a child is left in the hands of the parents, who are often swayed by theories and scare stories about health risks of certain vaccines.
 
Philippe said in his speech on Tuesday that “diseases that we believed to be eradicated are developing once again, children are dying of the measles in France and in the country of Pasteur, that is unacceptable.”
 
And in June new health minister Agnes Buzyn told Le Parsien newspaper that the current system causes “a real public health problem”, adding that measles is coming back.
 
Since 2008, measles has killed 10 children in France. 
 
“We have the same problem with meningitis. It's not acceptable that a 15-year-old teenager could die just because they have not been vaccinated,” the minister said.

 
 
“Vaccination isn't only a personal choice that solely benefits the person who is vaccinated” but “it aims to protect the population, in particular children, the elderly and fragile,” wrote the health professionals. 
 
“Systematic vaccination has eradicated diseases, such as Smallpox ” the text noted, “but the reduction in the vaccination coverage rate of the population has led to the resurgence of certain diseases such as measles.”
 
But not everyone in France has been positive about vaccinations in recent years and many are unlikely to support the government's move. 
 
In a survey published in October, just 69 percent of people said they had confidence in vaccinations, representing the lowest level since 2012. 
 
People who are anti-vaccinations stress the alleged dangers involved, highlighting the use of additives like aluminium in some jabs.
 
They have also accused laboratories of putting profitability ahead of the health of children. 
 
But those doctors who signed the appeal in favour of the vaccinations are shocked and insist the false information must be fought.
 
“We are astonished to see that 41 percent of the French say they are wary of vaccinations”, said François Chast, head of pharmacology at Paris hospitals.
 
“It is urgent to fight the speeches of anti-science and anti-vaccination lobbies that play on fear, they show nothing and rely on a few very rare side effects to discredit vaccines that save millions of lives,” he said. 
 
Professor Alain Fischer, president of a body that advises on vaccinations added: “As soon as we talk about a vaccination obligation, it triggers a row.” 
 
“Unfortunately there are no other solutions to combat the upsurge in childhood diseases. It is a short term evil for a long term good “he said.
 
The announcement comes soon after Italy introduced a new law that forces children to be vaccinated against 12 common illnesses before they can enroll in state schools.
 
Reacting to the controversial law Italian expert on infectious diseases Alberto Giubilini said the government was justified to coerce parents into vaccinating their children.
 
“The benefits of vaccination in terms of protection from infectious disease outweigh the costs and risks of vaccination,” he said. “For instance, the World Health Organisation estimates that between 2000 and 2015, measles vaccination prevented more than 20 million deaths.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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HEALTH

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde has warned that, despite increasing activity at hospitals, it will be some time before current waiting lists are reduced.

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

The message comes as Løhde was set to meet with officials from regional health authorities on Wednesday to discuss the progress of an acute plan for the Danish health system, launched at the end of last year in an effort to reduce a backlog of waiting times which built up during the coronavirus crisis.

An agreement with regional health authorities on an “acute” spending plan to address the most serious challenges faced by the health services agreed in February, providing 2 billion kroner by the end of 2024.

READ ALSO: What exactly is wrong with the Danish health system?

The national organisation for the health authorities, Danske Regioner, said to newspaper Jyllands-Posten earlier this week that progress on clearing the waiting lists was ahead of schedule.

Some 245,300 operations were completed in the first quarter of this year, 10 percent more than in the same period in 2022 and over the agreed number.

Løhde said that the figures show measures from the acute plan are “beginning to work”.

“It’s positive but even though it suggests that the trend is going the right way, we’re far from our goal and it’s important to keep it up so that we get there,” she said.

“I certainly won’t be satisfied until waiting times are brought down,” she said.

“As long as we are in the process of doing postponed operations, we will unfortunately continue to see a further increase [in waiting times],” Løhde said.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we retain a high activity this year and in 2024,” she added.

Although the government set aside 2 billion kroner in total for the plan, the regional authorities expect the portion of that to be spent in 2023 to run out by the end of the summer. They have therefore asked for some of the 2024 spending to be brought forward.

Løhde is so far reluctant to meet that request according to Jyllands-Posten.

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