The World Health Organization (WHO) had said that India will soon receive the HPV vaccine to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. (Image: Shutterstock)
The introduction and expansion at the national level is planned in a phased manner over a period of three to four years, subject to the availability of sufficient vaccine doses.
The locally developed quadrivalent HPV vaccine may be considered for introduction into the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) as a two-dose regimen for adolescent girls aged 9-14, the Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.
In June 2022, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recommended the introduction of the HPV vaccine in the IPU with “a single update for adolescent girls ages 9-14, followed by a routine introduction at 9 years. .”
This was based on recent evidence on disease burden, evidence on the efficacy of single-dose HPV vaccine, data from clinical trials, and the Sikkim Government’s experience of vaccine introduction.
“Locally developed quadrivalent HPV vaccine may be considered for introduction into the IPU as a two-dose regimen, as indicated in the product insert. Immunization of boys is recommended once 80 per cent of routine immunization coverage in girls is reached,” State Health Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a response written in the Rajya Sabha.
The introduction and scaling up nationwide are planned gradually over a period of three to four years, subject to the availability of sufficient vaccine doses, Pawar said.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one of the main causes of cervical cancer.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
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