Yashika Goel
The first cervical cancer vaccine produced in India will go on sale soon. It is a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that will lessen the likelihood that women may get cervical cancer.
The Drugs Controller General of India granted market authorization to the Serum Institute of India in July (DCGI). It will produce the first indigenously created vaccine for fatal illnesses.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Jitendra Singh on September 01 launched India’s first vaccine against Cervical Cancer at IIC Delhi.
Launch Of A Vaccine
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI)’s Dr. N. K. Arora, the chair of the COVID working group, called the vaccine’s introduction a “exciting experience.”
He expressed his happiness at the prospect of Indian ladies receiving this eagerly awaited vaccination. He even referred to it as one of the most important vaccinations ever introduced in the nation.
The Indian vaccine will now be accessible, and we anticipate its introduction into the National Immunization Program for females aged 9 to 14 years.
Vaccine’s effectiveness
Dr. Arora predicted that the vaccination will be 85% to 90% effective among those at risk for cervical cancer when explaining its effectiveness. He claimed that the human papillomavirus is the source of this deadly condition in numerous women.
He said, “Hopefully, if young girls are injected with it at an early age, they will continue to be protected from cancer 30 years later in life.”
Additionally, he emphasised that there was a global vaccine scarcity for cervical cancer. However, the nation would be better prepared to meet its needs with a vaccine developed in India.
Cervical cancer affects 1,22,844 women in India.
Every year, 1,22,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to a 2015 report published in the National Library of Medicine. A total of 67,477 women die from a terminal disease. According to a 2020 study published in BMC Women’s Health, India accounts for one-third of all such deaths worldwide.
Girls and women over the age of 15 are at risk of developing cancer in the world’s second most populous country. It is also one of the most common types of cancer in women aged 15 to 44.
What Exactly Is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vaginal canal. It is commonly referred to as the cervix.
One of the most common causes of this cancer is a sexually transmitted infection that can contain multiple strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).
When infected cells remain in the body for an extended period of time, they develop into cancer cells. Hopefully, with a locally developed vaccine, more girls and women will become aware and get vaccinated.
