India reports over 80,000 cervical cancer cases every year and many of these would not have arisen, if HPV vaccine had been administered to girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years.
Cervical cancer vaccines of GSK and Merck are available in India at a cost of Rs 4,000 per dose these vaccines are out of reach of average Indians.
The need of the hour is to include the vaccine in the national immunisation programme so that the vaccine becomes available free of cost. Further, a vaccine costing far less would make it easier for the Government to include the same in the programme.
It appears that these twin objectives can be achieved with the development of HPV vaccine by SII. Presently, India’s drug regulator is reviewing trial data of the vaccine submitted by SII. If the vaccine is approved, as is likely, the country’s apex immunisation body (NTAGI) would most probably include the vaccine in national immunisation programme.
That should pave the way for a drastic reduction after a few years of cervical cancer deaths, which today are a third of global cervical cancer deaths.