Since girls aged 9 to 14 are the main target population for this vaccine, HPV vaccinations are frequently given in schools. Due to COVID-19 complications, schools and healthcare facilities had to close, and vaccination cycles were postponed. The HPV vaccination rate has decreased alarmingly by 15% since 2019. One of the biggest reversals of any vaccine throughout the epidemic has occurred with this one.
Oluwaseun Ayanniyi works as a Contracts Specialist for UNICEF's Supply Division in Copenhagen's Vaccine Center. She believes that great progress may be made in the fight against cervical cancer. One in four nations will receive this life-saving vaccine from UNICEF in 2023 alone, with seven nations (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Eswatini, Kiribati, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Togo) including the vaccinations into their regular immunization programs. In order to find out how this will considerably help girls in these nations and safeguard them from cervical cancer, we chatted with Oluwaseun.
There were 340,000 fatalities and over 600,000 new cases of cervical cancer in 2020. 90% of these instances and fatalities took place in low- and middle-income nations, where access to services for prevention, screening, and treatment is more constrained. Some of the regions with the greatest rates of cervical cancer fatalities are South-East Asia, Africa, and Melanesia.
Nearly 60% of cervical cancer incidences take place in nations that have not yet made the HPV vaccine available. The good news is that the HPV vaccine will be made available in 20 of the nations with the highest burden within the next two to three years. These initiatives are being supported in 5 of these nations, including India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Angola, and Mali, by UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Girls between the ages of 9 and 14 are the main population WHO advises getting vaccinated against HPV. The greatest effect of immunization can be seen in this age group. The following dosing schedule is advised by the WHO for main, secondary, and tertiary target groups:
A single- or double-dose regimen for girls aged 9 to 14 years
a one- or two-dose regimen for women and girls between the ages of 15-20
For women older than 21 years old, two dosages separated by six months are recommended.
Additional age groups and males can be immunized if vaccine supplies are not limited. 47 nations currently provide male vaccination.
