Beijing to provide free HPV shots for girls

Authorities in Beijing said recently that the capital will begin delivering human papillomavirus vaccines to girls for free this year as part of a trial program aimed at accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer.

They said that 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.

China has so far approved five HPV vaccines for women age 9 to 45, including two homegrown products. But the optimal inoculation age of HPV vaccines is around 9 to 14 years old.

The action plan added that local drug regulators will step up 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.

The action plan has made Beijing the eighth provincial-level region to vaccinate young girls against the virus for free, following the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Jiangsu and Jiangxi, as well as Chongqing and the Tibet autonomous region.

A number of cities have also started delivering HPV vaccines for girls free of charge. For instance, Chengdu and Mianyang in Sichuan province have allocated subsidies for HPV vaccination programs, the National Health Commission, China's top health authority, said in August.

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