Some caregivers could see their skills expanded

Nurses, pharmacists, midwives: the High Authority for Health (HAS) issued a favorable opinion on Tuesday on the extension of the vaccination skills of these caregivers for children from two years old.

In order to “simplify the vaccination course, increase vaccination opportunities and therefore increase vaccination coverage”, HAS considers that these professionals are able to prescribe and administer the non-live vaccines included in the vaccination schedule in the least 16, according to a statement.

Precautions for children under two years old

The vaccines concerned are: BCG, Diphtheria-Tetanus-Poliomyelitis, Haemophilus Influenzae type b (HIB), Hepatitis B, Pertussis, Pneumococci, Meningococcus B, Meningococcus C, Meningococcus ACYW, Measles-Mumps-Rubella, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Chickenpox, Flu.

For immunocompromised children (like adults), however, the HAS recommends that the issue of live vaccines remains the responsibility of doctors alone. For children under two years of age, whose vaccination coverage is satisfactory, the HAS issues different recommendations depending on the professions concerned. Thus, it does not recommend expanding the vaccination skills of pharmacists and nurses for this age group. The nurses, who already had the skill, can continue to administer all the vaccines listed in the vaccination schedule.

Recommended training for caregivers

Finally, the HAS recommends authorizing midwives to prescribe and administer all the vaccines included in the vaccination schedule. Until now, for newborns, midwives only had the competence to prescribe and administer BCG and hepatitis B vaccines. This extension ensures continuity in care from birth to birth. ‘adolescence.

HAS recommends that this extension be subject to the completion of certification training for professionals who have not followed specific childhood vaccination modules. Midwives are therefore not affected by this certification training.

In addition, HAS now includes vaccines against meningococcal B and against rabies in the skills extended to these professionals for vaccines intended for adults.