Why in the News
India has launched a large-scale HPV vaccination campaign for adolescent girls using Gardasil, while the India-made vaccine Cervavac has not yet been included in the national immunisation programme due to ongoing research on its single-dose effectiveness.
HPV Vaccine Campaign in India
- India plans to vaccinate 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years.
- The campaign currently uses Gardasil-4, developed by Merck.
- Vaccination is supported by funding from Gavi.
About the Indigenous Vaccine: Cervavac
- Developed through collaboration between:
- Department of Biotechnology
- BIRAC
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Serum Institute of India
- Officially launched in 2022.
- Estimated price if procured by government: ₹200–400 per dose (much cheaper than global vaccines).
Why Cervavac is Not Yet in the Programme
- Ongoing ICMR Study: The Indian Council of Medical Research is studying whether one dose of Cervavac produces enough long-lasting antibodies. Results expected by 2027.
- WHO Recommendation Change: The World Health Organization now allows single-dose HPV vaccination in national programmes. Gardasil already has WHO prequalification for single-dose use, while Cervavac does not yet.
- Free Vaccine Supply: India received GAVI support providing limited “free” HPV vaccine doses, encouraging the use of Gardasil initially.
Two-Dose vs Single-Dose Debate
- Earlier recommendation: 2 doses for girls aged 9–15 (6 months apart).
- New WHO guidance (2022): Countries may use single-dose schedules to improve coverage and reduce costs.
- Single-dose programmes are easier to implement because adolescent girls may not return for the second dose.
Burden of Cervical Cancer in India
- Second most common cancer among Indian women.
- About 80,000 new cases annually.
- Around 42,000 deaths each year.
- India accounts for about 20% of global cervical cancer cases.
About HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
- A group of viruses spread mainly through sexual contact.
- Certain strains such as HPV-16 and HPV-18 cause most cervical cancers.
- Vaccination significantly reduces risk.
| [2022] In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements: The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector-based platform. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
