Gao Hong, 26, a saleswoman based in Beijing, thought cervical cancer was something that had no bearing on her life until she saw that an increasing number of women are dying from it on TV.
According to a July 21 people.cn report, every two minutes a woman dies from cervical cancer worldwide, the figure shocked Gao and her friends.
Gao said many of her female friends went to Hong Kong to get vaccinated, and she wanted to go, too. "But it took too much trouble and money to go three times in six months," she said.
According to a July 29 report by Life Times, a health news publication, China's Food and Drug Administration announced on July 18 that it had approved Cervarix, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and it will be available on the Chinese mainland market from January 2017. The vaccine will help protect women from contracting HPV types 16 and 18, which have been linked to over 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. It is produced by GlaxoSmithKline, a British healthcare company.
Gao is not the only one who cannot wait to get vaccinated. A July 18 post by caijing.com.cn concerning HPV vaccines on Sina Weibo has been forwarded 20,000 times and commented on 10,000 times. In the comments, many women discuss their confusion about the vaccines.
Gao said she is not sure whether the vaccine produced by foreign manufacturers would also work on Chinese people, and she heard that the vaccine set to enter the Chinese mainland protect against fewer virus strains compared with those in Hong Kong and other countries.
Wei Lihui, the vice director of the department of gynecology and obstetrics of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, told Life Times that there are mainly three types of preventative HPV vaccines, Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil 9, which target two, four and nine types of HPV respectively. She said Cervarix is based on the clinical data of Chinese people. Years of studies have proved that preventing HPV types 16 and 18 in China can effectively help lower the risk of cervical cancer. As for Gardasil and Gardasil 9, the other types of HPV they prevent mainly cause genital warts, she said.
According to Kathleen Tao, the pharmacy manager of Beijing United Family Satellite Clinics and Home Health, Gardasil and Gardasil 9 were produced later than Cervarix and need more time to be monitored and approved.
Tao said the HPV vaccine approval is a reflection of the rising awareness of cervical cancer among Chinese people, especially in big cities like Beijing. "A long time ago, Chinese people were not familiar with HPV, let alone getting vaccinated for a virus that is mainly transmitted through sex before the age when they actually have sex," Tao said. "But in recent years, as more and more people learn about HPV and how it can be prevented through vaccination from an early age, HPV vaccines have begun to be in great need."
Tao suggested that people go to government-approved medical institutions to receive the vaccines, such as public hospitals and other qualified medical institutions. She also said that HPV vaccines do not protect against all HPV strains because more than 30 types are spread via genital contact and the three vaccines only block a few.
"So, it is still crucial that women continue their regular screening for cervical cancer as instructed by their doctors," she said.
Gao is excited about the vaccine's arrival, not only for herself but also for her family. "My niece is turning 11, and it is the best age to get vaccinated," she said. "Although it seems that she hasn't realized the great benefit of the vaccine, I would talk to her and take her with me to get the shots together."
