Bar-le-Duc: Vaccination: A Protection for Oneself and Others

The Center for Tuberculosis Control and Vaccination (CLTV) has joined forces with European Immunization Week, as it does every year. The goal remains the same: to raise public awareness of the benefits of vaccination, promote awareness of the service, and encourage everyone to check their health records for possible booster doses. "A small injection is better than a large infusion," summarizes Dr. Martine Pellouin, a doctor at CLTV. While the remark draws on humor to downplay the gesture, vaccination coverage is a very serious subject. For the past ten years, we have witnessed a resurgence of measles in France and Europe, whooping cough has been experiencing a resurgence since 2024, and cases of meningococcal meningitis are on the rise, warns Public Health France.

The Center, located on the upper ground floor of the Bar-le-Duc hospital, provides the vaccines recommended in the French vaccination schedule: "We only administer the vaccines that are covered. We do not administer travel vaccines, we do not vaccinate against Covid, and we do not administer rotavirus vaccines," explains Dr. Pellouin.

"For adults, there are no vaccination requirements, except for professional ones. Here, for example, we are required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, and we had to be vaccinated against Covid. People who work in wastewater treatment must be vaccinated against leptospirosis."

The team, made up of Dr. Martine Pellouin, Delphine Petit, nurse, and Magdalena Cognon, medical secretary, welcomes and vaccinates at the hospital, is also mobile: "We vaccinate outside, in schools, middle schools, high schools, apprentice training centers, at the remand center, on integration sites."

The Bar-le-Duc mobile team covers the southern Meuse region, and its work concerns students in CE1 and 5e, in 83 schools in total, including 14 middle schools . "We collect vaccination records. We issue personalized authorizations to be completed. Parents can choose to have their child vaccinated at school, at the doctor's office, or refuse the vaccine," explains Dr. Pellouin.

"The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine accounts for half of all school vaccinations." Since January 1, 2025, the meningococcal ACWY and meningococcal B vaccine has been mandatory for newborns. It is recommended, but not mandatory, for adolescents: "It is offered at the same time as the human papillomavirus vaccine."

In 2024, 1,113 students, boys and girls, in primary, middle, high schools and CFA, were seen by the CLTV of Bar-le-Duc, 711 were vaccinated.

"Schoolchildren represent a large part of the activity, migrants represent the second largest segment. We have an agreement with the departmental council for unaccompanied minors (MNA). They go to the Permanent Health Care Access Center (PASS) for a medical examination; it's a system intended for people who don't have health insurance; it's not reserved for migrants," explains Dr. Pellouin. "When we have all the results, we call them here to vaccinate them based on their serology. We also do tuberculosis screening."

In 2024, 2,736 people, from all structures combined, were seen by the CLTV, 1,729 were vaccinated at the Center, 3,136 vaccines in total were administered.

Center open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free vaccinations by appointment at 03 29 45 86 43