India is set to launch free vaccines for Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, under a programme for adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer, Health Ministry sources have revealed. The programme is expected to offer free vaccination through government health facilities and is expected to target girls aged 14 years throughout the country.
The vaccination will be voluntary and free of cost and will be available at all government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, community and district hospitals, and government medical colleges.
The programme is expected to use a single-dose Gardasil vaccine - a quadrivalent formulation that protects against HPV types 16 and 18, the main causes of cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths reported annually.
HPV types 16 and 18 account for more than 80 per cent of cervical cancer cases in the country.
With the rollout of the programme, India will join more than 150 countries worldwide that have introduced HPV vaccination into their national immunisation schedules, with over 90 countries implementing single-dose schedules.
The vaccine has an excellent safety record, supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since 2006. HPV vaccines demonstrate 93 to 100 per cent effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer caused by vaccine-covered HPV types. The vaccines, according to news reports, have been secured through India's partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, ensuring quality-assured doses that meet regulatory and cold-chain standards.
HPV types 16 and 18 account for more than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases in India
Cervical cancer begins on the surface of your cervix and happens when the cells on your cervix begin to change to precancerous cells. HPV infection causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. HPV virus spreads through sexual contact, and its risk can be lowered by getting regular cervical cancer screenings, like a pap smear, and receiving the HPV vaccine.
Cervical cancer often does not cause symptoms until it begins to spread. And that is why doctors recommend regular screenings and the HPV vaccine. Cervical cancer is highly treatable when found in the early stages. A doctor can treat it with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other cancer medications.
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