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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 15 July, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

HPV VACCINE

HPV VACCINE

The HPV vaccine, Cervavac is a vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer, one of the leading of female cancer mortality worldwide. It is indigenously developed by the Serum Institute of India. The vaccine has acquired market authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India.

  • It is India's first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (qHPV) designed to protect women from cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer

  • Cervical cancer is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection.?
  • It’s a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
  • It is mostly caused by long-term infection with particular forms of HPV.
  • It is the second most prevalent cancer form and it is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women of reproductive age between 15 to 44?

Indian Perspective:

  • According to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, India accounts for roughly one-fifth of the global burden, with more than 1.23 lakh cases and around 67,000 fatalities every year.

Significance of the new Vaccine

  • It’s based on VLP (Virus-Like Particles), similar to the Hepatitis-B vaccination, as it gives protection by producing antibodies against the HPV virus' L1 protein.
  • It is said to be effective against four strains of the virus that is Type 6, Type 11, Type 16, and Type 18.
  • A quadrivalent vaccine is a vaccine that works by stimulating an immune response against four different antigens, such as four different viruses or other microorganisms.
  • It has a significant potential to eliminate cervical cancer and it would be helpful if it will be included in national HPV vaccination efforts and offered at a lower cost than the existing vaccinations.
  • Existing two vaccines licensed globally are available in India, they are a quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil, from Merck) and a bivalent vaccine (Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline) which are costly and none of them are included in the National Immunization Program.
  • After the DGCI approval, this would enable the government to procure vaccines in bulk to vaccinate around 50 million girls who are aged between 9 to 14 years.
  • The vaccine is extremely effective only when it's given before the first sexual intercourse.

Source: The Hindu


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