India is set to launch its first domestically developed "Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine" (qHPV) on Thursday.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh will unveil the vaccine, developed by the world's largest vaccine manufacturer - the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Ministry of Science and Technology's Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
The vaccine can also be administered to children, Dr. N.K. Arora, chairperson of the COVID working group at the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), told the media.
"It (qHPV) is very effective and prevents cervical cancer because, 85 to 90 percent cases, cervical cancer is because of this particular virus and this vaccine is against those viruses. So, if we give it to our young children and daughters, they are protected from the infection and consequently probably 30 years later, cancer doesn't occur," Dr. Arora explained.
Amid the shortage of vaccines on the global market, Dr. Arora feels that with the new Made-in-India vaccine to treat cervical cancer, the country will be able to meet the requirements and fulfill the supply gap.