Cervical cancer will be soon preventable in most cases, thanks to the HPV Vaccine being rolled out nationwide for young and adolescent girls. Dr NK Arora, head of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recently announced that India will soon immunize girls aged 9-14 from HPV under a national vaccination program. The nationwide drive will begin by mid-May 2023, the Indian Express reported.
The quadrivalent vaccine called Cervavac which will be used for the nationwide vaccination drive of adolescent girls is developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and will offer protection against four strains of HPV — 16, 18, 6, and 11.
The vaccines available in the market currently are priced at Rs 2,500-3,300 per dose but with the nationwide drive it will be priced at Rs 200-400 per dose, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla had said earlier.
In 2016, the government of Sikkim launched a campaign to provide vaccines to all girls between 9 and 14 years old as part of their routine immunization program. Dr Anupam Arora informed IE, the coverage rate for the program is around 88 to 90%.
Following Sikkim’s model, girls in the age group of 9-14 years will be given the HPV vaccine in campaign mode first. Then, it will be added to the routine immunization schedule for nine-year-old girls.
The Delhi government had also launched an HPV vaccination program, but it wasn’t as successful as the vaccines were available at only a single government-run facility.
According to Dr Anupam Arora, the program’s target population is girls aged 9 to 14 years old, and when it comes to introducing the vaccine, it should be given in primary schools as the enrolment rate there is around 90%. However, reaching out to the girl students who are not in school is also important, he mentioned.
He said that a similar system like CoWin could be used to implement the program followed by a clear communication strategy. He also said that the government had to face various challenges during the initial stages of the campaign, but eventually, the level of resistance will start to decrease.
He also emphasised the need to carry out screening of women above 30 years of age. Every woman above 30 years old, he advised should undergo a routine cervical disease check-up every three to five years. This can help with early detection and prevent the spread of the disease. If the cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated at the primary health care facility. He also stated that doctors can perform a point-of-care DNA test if the cancer is found.
The approval of SII’s vaccine was granted by the country’s drug regulator (DGCI) in July this year.
