Everything you should know about Cervavac vaccine for cervical cancer
Cervavac is a vaccine that aims to prevent or reduce the number of cervical cancer cases, the fourth most common kind of cancer found in women.
Hyderabad: Cervavac is a vaccine that aims to prevent or reduce the number of cervical cancer cases, the fourth most common kind of cancer found in women. It was recently launched by the makers on the occasion of National Girl Child Day on Tuesday. January is also Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
The vaccine prevents people from contracting Human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV usually doesn’t have significant symptoms other than warts around the genitals.
Cervavac has been jointly created by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The vaccine is said to have demonstrated a robust antibody response against all targeted HPV types in all age groups.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women after breast, lung, and colorectal cancer, with the country accounting for nearly one-fourth of the world’s cervical cancer deaths.
Why are HPV vaccines important?
More than 95 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by sexually transmitted HPVs. Taking a vaccine plays an important role in reducing the impact of cervical cancer caused by this kind of virus.
If the vaccine is given before a female is exposed to the virus, most cases of cervical cancer can be prevented.
Who can take Cervavac?
The Union government plans to target girls in the 9-14 years age group for the Cervavac vaccination against cervical cancer. The cost of each dose for this drive would be around Rs 200 to Rs 400, and two doses would be required.
However, as per WHO, girls between the ages of 15 and 20 should get one to two doses of any standard cervical vaccine. For women older than 21 years two doses with a 6-month interval can be taken.
