Vaccine for cervical cancer will be available in few months: Adar Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India’s (SII’s) on Thursday launched India’s first indigenously developed vaccine Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer in Delhi.

The qHPV vaccine is called CERVAVAC developed.

Historic milestone in Preventive Healthcare,under leadership of PM Sh @NarendraModi.
India’s first indigenously developed Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against Cervical Cancer launched by Department of Biotechnology under Union Ministry of Science & Technology pic.twitter.com/EItvwgVX9J

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) September 1, 2022

The vaccine was launched by Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh at India International Centre, Delhi.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO, SII, said the vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer will be available in a few months, and may be priced between Rs 200 to Rs 400. However, he said the prices are yet to be finalised.

Poonawalla said, “CERVAVAC will be administered to people in India first, and later to the world”.

SII is preparing to make 200 million doses of the qHPV vaccine in two years. Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women aged 15 to 44 years in India. Most cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus, and are sexually transmitted.