On Thursday, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Serum Institute of India are scheduled to introduce the country's first locally produced quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.
Jitendra Singh, the federal minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology, will introduce the vaccine in Delhi, according to the announcement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that India bears a fifth of the world's cervical cancer burden, with 1.23 lakh new cases and 67,000 fatalities per year. By producing antibodies against HPV, this vaccination prevents the 6, 11, 16, and 18 strains, according to government analysis. According to DBT, the indigenous vaccination will prove to be inexpensive and accessible.
According to DBT representatives, the new vaccine is based on VLPs (virus-like particles), just as the hepatitis B vaccination, and it is designed to protect by producing antibodies against the L1 protein of the HPV virus.
For India's almost 50 million girls aged 9 to 14, this will be very helpful.
The Drugs Controller General of India gave the vaccination the go-ahead in July, according to the Serum Institute of India.