Vaccine indoctrination at school?

While the HPV vaccination campaign in secondary schools is in full swing, the French national education system has, since October 2021, been tasked by its ministry with raising pupils’ awareness of vaccination by means of “teacher guides”. While this subject is already part of the Life and Earth Sciences (SVT) curriculum, it should be noted that it is now all teachers, from the first year of primary school to the final year of secondary school, whatever subject they teach, who “are invited to lead a debate in their class presenting the issues surrounding vaccination in general, and against COVID-19 or papillomavirus infection in particular.”

In a context where the concept of a “health-promoting school”, initiated by the WHO and UNESCO and endorsed by the High Council for Public Health (HCSP), seeks to replace our traditional health education, the Syndicat Liberté Santé, which defends the care professions and professionals, is concerned about the national education system’s encroachment on the medical and pharmaceutical sector and about the changes looming behind the word “health”.

A drift in the notion of health?

Indeed, between “educating about health”, health being defined by the WHO as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”, and promoting vaccination in class, which is a medical act, and pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, there is, for the Syndicat Liberté Santé, a distinction and a limit to be respected. Are we in fact heading towards a ritualised and trivialised practice of vaccination?

Far more technical than mere posters or a brief explanation of the basic principle of vaccination, the resource sheets made available to teachers look uncannily like a sales pitch from the pharmaceutical industry. It is then up to the teachers to put this documentation to use around a debate and activities presented in a kit, over several sessions with their pupils, in order “to awaken their critical sense” on the topic of vaccination, we are told. The sources are listed in the bibliography.

But given the complexity of the notions covered, it turns out that these guides either say too much or not enough to enable teachers and pupils to genuinely form a comprehensive and informed opinion on the question. And with good reason: to each their own trade!

So what do teachers think of this new task entrusted to them, on a voluntary basis for the time being? We would understand if they were deeply embarrassed... As embarrassed as doctors would be if the Ministry of Health came up with the bizarre idea of encouraging them to give maths or art lessons to their young patients…

Unqualified staff...

The professions of doctor, nurse, pharmacist or medical information are HEALTH professions, whose practice requires a diploma validating skills acquired over several years of theoretical and practical training. The practice of these professions is also governed by the Public Health Code, or even conditional on registration with a professional order. Carrying out tasks reserved for these professions without meeting the necessary conditions constitutes illegal practice.

Primary and secondary school teachers, however competent and professional they may be in their subject, are therefore neither authorised nor able to give pupils accurate and complete information in accordance with best practice on medicine and vaccination, nor do they have the qualifications required to promote pharmaceutical products in class.

It goes without saying that combining a vaccination campaign with this vaccination “awareness” must in no way serve as an alibi to legitimise this transfer of competences outside any ethical framework, nor to insidiously sideline health professionals from a question that is nevertheless strictly within their competence.

A civic act or a medical act?

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) points out that “all safety information must be carefully taken into account before administering or recommending a vaccination”. A vaccination can therefore only be indicated after medical advice.

So, contrary to the message conveyed by Eduscol, vaccination can only be considered a civic act. It is above all a medical act that requires taking into account each person’s individual benefit-risk balance.

Only a doctor who knows his patient, that is to say his medical record, his social and family environment and his lifestyle, is entitled to judge whether it is appropriate to offer him a given vaccination. It is also the doctor’s responsibility to keep abreast of the latest established medical and scientific data in order to provide clear, honest and appropriate information to his patient, with a view to obtaining his free and informed consent. Health professionals also have a duty to keep their knowledge up to date before speaking publicly.

The Covid-19 “vaccination” campaign as a reference!

Besides the fact that the Eduscol guides state that the Covid-19 injections are vaccines – useful, safe and effective ones at that – which protect oneself and others, and even make it possible to achieve herd immunity provided that 85% of the WORLD’s population is immunised, they suggest that teachers use the “Covid-19 vaccination” campaign as a reference for the debates.

On what official sources does Eduscol base its claims?

Read the rest of this op-ed (in French) at https://docs.syndicat‑liberte‑sante.com/TlGr/TribuneSLSeduscol240124.pdf

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of BAM!

Introduction by BAM!
The illustration is a montage by BAM!