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GS-III : S&T Health

03 September, 2022
8 Min Read

Cervavac Vaccine for Cervical Cancer

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Cervavac Vaccine for Cervical Cancer

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The scientific completion of Cervavac, India's first locally made quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer, was recently announced by the Union Minister of Science and Technology.

About Cervavac

Manufacturer: The Serum Institute of India, situated in Pune, developed Cervavac in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Government (DBT).

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that is spread through sexual contact, has been related to almost all cases of cervical cancer.

Lifecycle:

While the HPV infection is typically cleared up spontaneously by the body's immune system within two years, in a tiny proportion of people, the virus can remain over time and cause some normal cells to develop into cancerous cells.

Prevention

Two effective methods for avoiding cervical cancer include screening and immunisation.
Less than 10% of Indian women are screened, and few women are aware of how to prevent this cancer.
Even if they don't have any symptoms, all women aged 30-49 must get screened for cervical cancer and have their teenage daughters vaccinated against HPV.

In India, how prevalent is cervical cancer?

With 1.23 lakh instances and over 67,000 fatalities per year, India is responsible for almost a fifth of the world's cervical cancer cases.
In the nation, it claims one woman's life every eight minutes.
How well does the new vaccine work?
Data indicates that the antibodies that form after receiving both doses of the HPV vaccine can last up to six or seven years.
The cervical cancer vaccination may not require booster injections.
It is anticipated to be substantially less expensive, with a price range of Rs 200 to 400

Challenges

The largest challenge will be assigning enough money and labour to vaccinate the enormous population of teenage females between the ages of 9 and 15.
There is a critical need to raise community knowledge of the disease and the vaccine.
The community has very little screening, which is a problem.

Data/ Facts

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally according to the WHO.
It is preventable.
In 2018, an estimated 570, 00 women were diagnosed with the disease and it accounted for 311,000 deaths across the world

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