HPV Vaccine Drive
Context:
The Union government is set to roll out a nationwide single-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign targeting 14-year-old girls.
This initiative aims to mitigate India's high burden of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women in the country
About HPV:
HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection.
While most infections are asymptomatic and resolve spontaneously, persistent infection with oncogenic HPV types can lead to Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) and eventually cancer.
Almost 90% of all cervical cancers are caused by persistent HPV infection.
The virus is also linked to anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and throat cancers.
Vaccination combined with regular screening is seen as a key strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Vaccine Technology and Types of Vaccines:
Prophylactic HPV vaccines are created using recombinant DNA and cell-culture technology.
They produce Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) that lack viral DNA, making them non-infectious.
Currently licensed vaccines include Bivalent (e.g., Cervarix), Quadrivalent (e.g., Gardasil, Cervavax), and Nonavalent (Gardasil 9) options.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a single-dose schedule for individuals aged 9 to 20 years, citing efficacy data.
For immunocompromised individuals, at least two or three doses are recommended.
Campaign Details:
Eligible girls will need to book slots at government health centres using the U-win vaccine management platform, modelled after the Co-Win platform used during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The primary target is girls aged 9-14 years (specifically 14-year-olds for this campaign) before they become sexually active, as this ensures better immunity.
While this is a national rollout, states like Sikkim (2018), Punjab (2016), and Delhi (2016) have previously attempted vaccination drives.
Sikkim achieved over 95% coverage, whereas Delhi’s programme struggled due to the requirement for hospital visits.