Rationnel et évolution du calendrier vaccinal en France

Vaccines are among the most cost-effective preventive measures against infectious diseases in the armamentarium of modern medicine. When used aggressively with a rational epidemiological strategy, vaccines achieve great success. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox globally, eliminated poliomyelitis from the Western hemisphere, and have drastically diminished the incidence of a number of childhood infections, such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. As is the situation in most countries, in France the Ministry of Health (Conseil Supérieur d'Hygiène Publique de France and Comité Technique des Vaccinations) has appointed committees of experts, with a mandate to assess proposals for the modification or inclusion of new vaccines into the national immunisation programme. The decisions are published annually in the Bulletin Epidémiologique Hebdomadaire.