Expanded adolescent vaccination schedule

Between the ages of 11 and 24, the vaccination schedule has become more comprehensive, including recommendations for dTcaP booster (diphtheria-tetanus-polio-pertussis), human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and meningococcal vaccines. These recommendations respond to public health challenges that require high vaccination coverage.

Vaccination opportunities and timing

Opportunities to implement these recommendations include general practice, pharmacies, and school medicine, especially during campaigns in secondary schools since the start of the school year 2023. The adolescent vaccination schedule has greatly expanded in recent years, adding meningococcal and HPV vaccines to the classic dTcaP booster, as well as the varicella vaccine for those who have not naturally contracted the disease.

Meningococcal vaccination requirements

Vaccinations against meningococcal ACWY and against meningococcal B are mandatory for all children born after January 1, 2023. A recent recommendation suggests vaccinating adolescents and young adults against meningococcal bacteria. A resurgence of invasive meningococcal infections (IIM) has been observed since 2022, with infants under 1 year and adolescents and young adults between 15 and 24 years being most affected.

Recent meningococcal infection data

According to the latest data from Public Health France (SPF), 628 cases of IIM were reported in 2025, a 2% increase compared to 2024. The serogroups B, W, Y, and C represented 46%, 29%, 23%, and 0.7% of the cases, respectively, with 12 cases belonging to other groups or being ungrouped. The lethality was 13% overall and 21% for IIM with serotype W, highlighting the particular severity of infections related to this group.

Meningococcal vaccine effectiveness

The serogroup B vaccine is not officially recommended due to the absence of effect on carriage and the shorter duration of protection compared to ACWY vaccines. The ACWY meningococcal vaccination is recommended for all adolescents aged 11 to 14 years using quadrivalent vaccines (NIMENRIX, MENQUADFI, or MENVEO) according to a single-dose schedule. A catch-up vaccination is recommended between 15 and 24 years old. The meningococcal B vaccination is not officially recommended but can be proposed and is reimbursed for young people aged 15 to 24 years.

HPV vaccination and cancer prevention

HPV vaccination is recommended for both girls and boys to prevent several thousand cancers each year in France. The virus is responsible for nearly a third of cancers in men. When administered early, the vaccine prevents the vast majority of cancers, but coverage remains below the targets. In 2024, 48% of young girls and 24.5% of boys had received a complete vaccination schedule.

HPV vaccination schedule

The GARDASIL 9 vaccine is recommended for all young girls and boys aged 11 to 14 years. The recommended vaccination schedule by the High Authority for Health (HAS) is two doses spaced 5 to 13 months apart for those aged 11 to 14 years, and three doses administered according to a schedule of 0, 2, and 6 months for a catch-up between 15 and 26 years old.

Varicella and dTcaP vaccination

The varicella vaccine is recommended for adolescents aged 12 to 18 years without a clinical history of varicella or with a doubtful history and negative serology. The third booster for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and poliomyelitis is carried out between 11 and 13 years with a tetraivalent vaccine combination with reduced doses of diphtheria toxoid and pertussis antigens (dTcaP). The co-administration of dTcaP, ACWY, and HPV vaccines is possible on the same day, at different sites.

Engaging adolescents in vaccination

Adolescent vaccination strategies require the mobilization of all health professionals, with all occasions being good to facilitate vaccination at an age where consultations are generally infrequent. Adolescents should be involved in the vaccination strategy, using tools such as short videos made by high school students, escape games, and testimonies from young patients who have suffered from IIM.

Pharmacists and school campaigns

The pharmacist has a key role in vaccination, as they can prescribe and inject all vaccines on the vaccination schedule from the age of 11. School campaigns have been implemented with some success, and since the school year 2025-2026, the ACWY meningococcal vaccination is offered free of charge to students in 5th grade in addition to the HPV vaccination campaign.