[Vaccination in childhood in France: Current issues and challenges].

Vaccination in childhood in France : current issues and challenges. Children are a priority target for immunization programs, in large part because the most contagious vaccine- preventable diseases affect children early in life. If vaccination coverage of infants is very high and consistent with public health objectives, the situation regarding older children and especially adolescents is unsatisfactory. Vaccination coverage against measles and meningococcal C diseases are insufficient, resulting in the occurrence of severe cases, which could have been avoided through better immunization coverage. In adolescents, coverage against hepatitis B and especially papillomavirus are far below the expectation, exposing young adults to contamination by these oncogenic viruses. General practitioners and pediatricians are the cornerstone to increase vaccination coverage. The renewed commitment for the vaccination program of the Ministry of Health and its agencies should give them the support they need, in particular by providing them with tools tailored to their practice.