[Successes and failures of anti-HBV vaccination in France: historical background and questions for research].

The promotion in France, in the mid 90s of hepatitis B vaccination for pre-teenagers and high-risk individuals has been very successful. Between 1994 and 1998, vaccination coverage in pre-teenagers was over 75% and more than one third of the French population has been immunized, indicating that vaccination went well beyond its target. Vaccination of infants has been much less successful. Epidemiological studies, undertaken following notifications of neurological events following vaccination, could neither confirm nor totally disprove an association between the two events, even if the hypothesis of a coincidental temporal relationship remains by far the most likely explanation. This situation led to the stagnation or the decrease of the vaccination coverage for its various target-populations. However other factors may have contributed to this situation. Research in social sciences would be useful to study the contribution of a negative perception of the epidemiological relevancy of hepatitis B vaccination, especially in infants, as well as of the shortcomings in the management of the implementation of the vaccination strategies. The results would help to tailor communication strategies that are needed to support an active promotion of hepatitis B vaccination in France.