HPV vaccine for cervical cancer to get cheaper? Here’s all you need to know

HPV vaccine for cervical cancer:  In a new focus on health of young girls, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her interim budget presentation said that the government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9-14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer in the country.

The central government, which announced plans to encourage vaccinations against the human papilloma virus (HPV) through its immunisation programme, is exploring options to cap prices so that the vaccines to treat cervical cancer become more affordable. 

Also Read: Model and actress Poonam Pandey dies at 32 due to cervical cancer

There is widespread anticipation that the cost of vaccination against cervical cancer could see a substantial decrease following the implementation of the proposed measures. Currently, a single dose of the cervical vaccine at a private hospital is approximately Rs 4,000.

Notably, Cervical cancer is a highly preventable cancer but is also the third most common cancer with an incident rate of 18.3 percent and the second leading cause of death in India.

For women over the age of 30, regular Pap smears and HPV tests can be helpful to prevent cervical cancer.

Following the Finance Minister's Budget speech, Adar Poonawala, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, took to social media platform X to applaud the government's announcement.

Also Read: Cervical Cancer: Poonam Pandey's untimely death sparks urgency; check symptoms and causes

"I applaud the Indian government's announcement to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 against cervical cancer. Let's pledge to prevent HPV and ensure easy access to vaccination. Extending health cover for ASHA and Anganwadi workers, setting up more medical colleges, and streamlining maternal and child healthcare schemes demonstrate a holistic commitment to health," he tweeted.

I applaud the Indian government's announcement to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 against cervical cancer. Let's pledge to prevent HPV and ensure easy access to vaccination. Extending health cover for ASHA and Anganwadi workers, setting up more medical colleges, and streamlining… — Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 1, 2024

 The vaccination would be provided primarily through schools (grade-based approach: 5th-l0th). In order to reach those girls who are unable to attend school on the campaign day, the vaccination would be provided at a health facility while for out-of-school girls the campaign would be conducted through Community Outreach and Mobile teams

According to SII, it presently has a production capacity of around two- three million doses for the Cervavac vaccine. That said, the company plans to considerably expand this capacity, with a target of reaching 60-70 million doses and is priced at Rs 2000 per dose.  
 

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