The National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention held a press conference yesterday (3rd). The relevant person in charge stated that since the launch of HPV vaccination in various places in February this year, more than 5.2 million school-age girls across the country have completed the first dose of vaccination so far, and the overall progress is going smoothly.
Fei Jia, deputy director of the Department of Health and Immunization of the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention: The next step is that the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention will guide various localities to further optimize vaccination services, set up special after-school vaccination sessions during students’ out-of-school hours, and open special weekend green sessions for students who are inconvenient to receive after-school vaccinations. After the start of school, special vaccination sessions and temporary vaccination sites will be set up in schools to reduce the need for parents to accompany and students to travel to vaccination units. According to the actual situation of the region and the characteristics of the school, the vaccination time and vaccination method can be flexibly arranged. In areas where conditions permit, "point-to-point" direct channels will be built between schools and vaccination sites. Through accurate online reservations before vaccination, electronic verification during vaccination, and post-vaccination observation time reminders, vaccination is made more convenient and safer.
Expert interpretation:
Why is it recommended that 13-year-old girls get the HPV vaccine?
Why does my country include 13-year-old girls as the target group for HPV vaccination in the National Immunization Program? Experts said that starting this year, my country will incorporate the bivalent HPV vaccine into the national immunization plan and target 13-year-old girls for free vaccination. This is the best choice based on factors such as HPV infection risk, vaccine protection effect, cost-effectiveness, and implementation feasibility.
Zhu Lan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital: HPV vaccination should be carried out before having sexual intercourse for the first time. This can maximize the role of the vaccine in preventing HPV infection and obtain better protection. Domestic and foreign studies have shown that the antibody level produced by the HPV vaccine in girls aged 9 to 14 is more than twice that of people over 15 years old, which means that its protective effect is better and the effect lasts for at least 10 years. Therefore, vaccination at the age of 13 can obtain higher antibody levels and longer-lasting protective effects.
Currently, there are about 200 types of HPV, the human papillomavirus, found in humans. Research shows that at least 70% of cervical cancers are related to persistent infection with high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, and the bivalent HPV vaccine can prevent these two types of viral infections.
Zhu Lan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital: It is worth noting that the HPV vaccine currently on the market is a preventive vaccine and has no clearing effect on existing viral infections. If lesions have already occurred, they cannot prevent the development of lesions. Therefore, we remind everyone that even if you have received the HPV vaccine, it is still recommended to undergo regular cervical cancer screening and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents of girls of appropriate age who meet the date of birth requirements take their children to receive the HPV vaccine in a timely manner. If you miss the free vaccination time for various reasons, please go to the vaccination point in your jurisdiction as soon as possible for free re-vaccination. If a girl of appropriate age has received one shot of HPV vaccine at her own expense, she can complete the full course of vaccination according to the original immunization schedule, or with informed consent, she can receive the remaining doses of the bivalent HPV vaccine for free.
Fei Jia, deputy director of the Department of Health and Immunization of the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention: If girls of appropriate age have been vaccinated with the quadrivalent or nine-valent HPV vaccine at their own expense, they do not need to be vaccinated again. In addition to preventing cervical cancer, the quadrivalent and nine-valent HPV vaccines can also prevent diseases such as genital warts.
(CCTV News Client)
