Cour des Comptes Critiques French Vaccination Policy and Pushes for Electronic Records by 2028

On September 7, the Cour des Comptes released a sharp critique of France’s vaccination policy since 2018, highlighting significant shortcomings and calling for urgent reforms. While the report recognizes the increase of mandatory vaccines for infants to eleven as a notable achievement, it brands the overall vaccination strategy as underperforming.

The report emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive and efficient vaccination framework given the limited progress in coverage and citizen engagement. A key recommendation is the full generalization of the electronic vaccination record system by 2028. Despite the system being in place for 15 years, only about one-third of French citizens have activated their shared medical records.

This gap in utilization hampers vaccination tracking and reminders, contributing to public uncertainty about vaccination schedules. For example, some individuals are unaware of when vaccines like tetanus or polio need renewal, which is typically every 20 years. Others prioritize vaccines based on perceived risks, such as focusing on flu and COVID-19 shots over rarer diseases.

The Cour des Comptes has set a two-year deadline for the government to ensure all citizens adopt these digital health records, aiming to reduce confusion and improve vaccine uptake. This measure is seen as essential to modernizing France’s vaccination efforts and better safeguarding public health.

With these findings, the Cour des Comptes sends a strong signal to policymakers: beyond increasing mandatory childhood vaccines, France must enhance vaccine tracking and public awareness through digital tools to meet future health challenges effectively.