CERVAVAC | IAS GYAN

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Context

announces India’s first indigenously developed vaccine, “CERVAVAC” for the prevention of cervical cancer.

Details

Developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), CERVAVAC is a quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (qHPV) vaccine against cervical cancer is affordable and cost-effective.
The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18, which are responsible for 70% to 80% of cervical cancers and at least 90% of cases of genital warts.
India has been fully dependent on foreign manufacturers for the HPV vaccine. However, India got its first indigenously developed qHPV vaccine. HPV vaccine is available under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to females aged 12–26 years.

Significance

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, which develops in a woman’s cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina). It is the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age with a high death ratio in India.
As per the World Health Organisation, when diagnosed timely and managed effectively, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer.
The most promising intervention for preventing cervical cancer is vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV). It is estimated that HPV types 16 and 18 (HPV-16 and HPV-18) together contribute to approximately 70% of all invasive cervical cancer cases worldwide.