CERVICAL CANCER - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News: Girls
aged 9 to 14 to get cervical cancer vaccines through schools
What's in the news?
● The
Government will provide vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer to girls aged between 9 and 14 years through
their schools.
● The
decision was based on the National
Technical Advisory Group for Immunization (NTAGI) recommendation to
introduce the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine in the Universal Immunization
Programme.
Key takeaways:
● India
is expected to roll out the indigenously
developed CERVAVAC vaccine by mid-2023. The vaccine has received the Drugs
Controller GeneraI of India’s approval and has been cleared by the government
advisory panel NTAGI for use in the public health programme.
● A
one-time catch-up vaccine will be provided for 9- to 14-year-old adolescent
girls. Subsequently, it will be introduced at 9 years.
● The
vaccination will be provided primarily through schools because of the high
enrolment of girls.
● Those
girls who are unable to attend school on the day that the vaccination campaign
is organized will be provided the vaccine at a health facility.
● Out-of-school
girls will be reached through community outreach and mobile teams.
Cervical Cancer:
● Almost
all cervical cancer cases are linked to certain strains of human papillomavirus
(HPV), a common virus that is transmitted
through sexual contact.
● HPV
transmission is influenced by sexual activity and age. Almost 75% of all
sexually active adults are likely to be infected with at least one HPV type.
● However,
a vast majority of the infections resolve spontaneously and only a minority
(<1%) of the HPV infections progress to cancer.
● While
the body’s immune system usually gets rid of the HPV infection naturally within
two years, in a small percentage of people the virus can linger over time and
turn some normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer.
Cervical Cancer in India:
● Cervical
cancer is the fourth most common cancer
in women globally.
● In
India, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. India
contributes the largest share of the global cervical cancer burden.
● According
to a recent study published in The Lancet, India
accounted for nearly one in every four deaths globally due to cervical cancer.
● Current
estimates indicate that every year approximately 25 lakhs women are diagnosed
with cervical cancer, and over 75 thousand dies from the disease in India, and
83 % of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to HPVs 16 or 18 in India, and
70% of cases worldwide.
Vaccine and Cervical Cancer:
● Cervical
cancer is a preventable and curable
disease, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.
● Most
cervical cancers are associated with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and the
HPV vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer if the vaccine is given
before girls or women are exposed to the virus.
● Prevention
through vaccination is one of the pillars of the global strategy adopted by the
World Health Organization (WHO) for the elimination of cervical cancer.
Cervavac:
● Cervavac
was developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India in coordination with
the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
● CERVAVAC is a
quadrivalent vaccine, meaning it is effective against at least four variants of
cancer-causing Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
● HPV
vaccines are given in two doses and the antibodies that develop after both are
administered can last up to six or seven years.
● Unlike
Covid vaccines, booster shots may not be required for the cervical cancer
vaccine.
● Until
now, the HPV vaccines available in India were produced by foreign manufacturers
at an approximate cost of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 per dose.
● Cervavac
is likely to be significantly cheaper, slated to cost approximately Rs. 200 to
400.
● It
has also demonstrated a robust antibody response that is nearly 1,000 times
higher than the baseline against all targeted HPV types and in all dose and age
groups.
Other vaccines in India:
● Besides
Cervavac, two vaccines licensed globally are available in India.
○ A
quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil,
marketed by Merck).
○ A
bivalent vaccine (Cervarix, marketed
by GlaxoSmithKline).
● Both
vaccines are manufactured by recombinant DNA technology that produces
non-infectious VLPs (Virus Like Particles) consisting of the HPV L1 protein.