Shenzhen will offer domestically produced 2-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for free to girls in Guangdong Province who are freshman junior high school under the age of 14 and have not yet received the vaccine, according to the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission.
The vaccine will be administered in two doses given six months apart. The first shot is expected to be given through the end of October. The schools where the girls attend will notify those eligible for the vaccination.
According to the commission, the 2-valent HPV vaccine provides protection against two high-risk strains, HPV16 and HPV18, which causes about 84.5% of cervical cancer cases in China.
To date, the 2-valent, 4-valent and 9-valent HPV vaccines have been approved for use in the country, with inoculations as early as the age of 9 for all three types.
The three vaccines can provide protection against HPV strains 16 and 18, though the 4-valent and 9-valent vaccines protect against more HPV types and the requirements for the inoculations may differ.
Women who have received the full dose of the bivalent HPV vaccine are not advised to get inoculated with the 4-valent and 9-valent shots, partly due to lack of relevant clinical research data at present, the commission said.
An interval of at least 14 days is required between a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and an HPV vaccine.
The World Health Organization suggests that the prime age for HPV vaccination is set between 9 and 14.
The best way to prevent cervical cancer is for women to get fully vaccinated against HPV before her first sexual encounter.