Cervavac: India's Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer For Girls Aged 9 to 14 To Roll Out Next Year

India will roll out the indigenously developed Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) against cervical cancer for girls aged 9 to 14. The rollout, under the National Immunisation Programme, is expected to be launched in April next year by the Serum Institute of India (SII). The Cervavac vaccine, which protects against four strains of HPV — 16, 18, 6, and 11 — will be significantly less expensive than currently available international vaccines.

Affordable For All

The chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), Dr N K Arora, said the vaccine has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and NTAGI, the government advisory panel, for use in the public health programme.

Currently, the country is entirely reliant on foreign manufacturers for the vaccine. Three foreign companies manufacture the HPV vaccine, with two selling it in India. Each dose of the jab sold in the market costs more than ₹4,000. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla stated in September 2022 that the vaccine would most likely cost ₹200-400 per dose.

In addition to an immunisation drive, Dr N K Arora, chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), highlighted the importance of screening women over 30. He added that there was a need for an effective communication system, citing lessons learnt from the Covid-19 vaccination drive, The Indian Express reported.

Expected To Help 80,000 Women Annually

Approximately 16 per cent of the world's women reside in India. The nation is responsible for nearly a quarter of all cervical cancer incidences of these women and almost a third of deaths, as reported by Business Standard.

According to Dr Arora, Indian women have a 1.6 per cent lifetime cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer and a 1 per cent lifetime cumulative risk of dying from cervical cancer. Recent estimates state that nearly 80,000 women in India develop cervical cancer each year, with 35,000 dying as a result.

When we go to a single-age cohort, we can give it in primary school, which has a high enrolment rate of 90%, said Dr Arora, adding that we must go beyond that and reach out to the girl children who are not in school.

The studies have led the World Health Organisation to recommend that even one dose of the vaccine be given to 9 to 14-year-olds is effective. As of 2021, global HPV immunisation coverage stood at only 13%. As part of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, a cervical screening programme has already been included in the national chronic disease (NPCDCS) programme.

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