Authorities plan major HPV vaccine drive

Authorities in Beijing have said that the capital will step up vaccination against human papillomavirus, or HPV, among girls this year and will scale up free screening for cervical cancer, as part of a trial program aimed at accelerating the elimination of the deadly disease.

More awareness and registration campaigns should be rolled out on campuses to encourage girls to get HPV vaccines, according to an action plan released by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission and nine other government departments on Saturday.

So far, China has approved five HPV vaccines for women aged 9 to 45, including two home-developed products, but the optimal inoculation age for HPV vaccines is around 9 to 14 years old.

The action plan added that local drug regulators will strengthen guidance for drugmakers to facilitate the research, development and market approval procedures of their products.

Vaccine supplies will be prioritized toward girls of appropriate age, but regions are also encouraged to expand coverage and gradually guarantee that all girls age 9 to 14, as well as females who are eligible, can access the vaccine.

Regional HPV vaccination drives targeting young girls often involve delivering free-of-charge vaccines for freshmen at junior high school, aged around 14, using two-valent domestic vaccines that protect the two most common and deadly strains of HPV.

Seven provincial-level regions have rolled out such free programs. They are Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Jiangsu and Jiangxi, as well as Chongqing and the Tibet autonomous region, said the National Health Commission, China's top health authority, in August.

A number of cities have also started delivering free HPV vaccines for girls, with Chengdu and Mianyang in Sichuan province having allocated subsidies for HPV vaccination programs, the commission added.

"So far, the HPV vaccination rates in Hainan province, Xiamen in Fujian province and Jinan in Shandong province have all topped 90 percent," it said.

Broadening vaccination coverage among girls, stepping up screening for females and ensuring provision of treatment to patients have been deemed crucial factors in eliminating cervical cancer, which kills around 59,000 women in China annually.

The action plan in Beijing also calls for strengthening free cervical cancer screening by setting up more screening facilities and adopting more advanced and efficient screening tools.

Employers are also asked to offer routine screening services for their female workers. Free screening drives should be launched targeting disadvantaged groups, the document said.

According to the National Health Commission, about 180 million free screenings have been carried out nationwide.