Why is it in news?

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), an advisory body that recommends vaccines for India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), has given the green signal to the introduction of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the UIP.

Details

• However, the decision of who will make the HPV vaccines will depend on the outcome of a 2012 Supreme Court case.
• As on today, two HPV vaccines are available in India, developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and GlaxoSmithkline (GSK), while one vaccine developed by an Indian firm is in clinical trials. But a 2012 writ petition in the Supreme Court of India asks for the licences of the MSD and GSK vaccines to be revoked, because they were allegedly approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) without adequate clinical trials. This is why the inclusion of these vaccines in the UIP will wait till the Supreme Court decides on the case.
• HPV vaccines have been at the centre of a controversy in India since 2009, when a clinical trial conducted by the American non-profit PATH, in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat governments, went wrong.

About Human Papillomvirus (HPV)

• Human Papillomvirus (HPV) is an infection that causes warts in various parts of the body, depending on the strain.
• It is very common and has more than 10 million cases per year in India.
• It spreads by sexual contact. Some types preventable by vac
• Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured. It is chronic and can last for years or be lifelong. Treatment focuses on removing the warts.
• A vaccine that prevents the HPV strains most likely to cause genital warts and cervical cancer is recommended for boys and girls.

Conclusion

• India has one of the world’s highest burdens of HPV-related cancer. Around 67,000 women die from this disease each year, more than India’s maternal mortality burden of 45,000.
• But opponents of the HPV vaccine say it is unnecessary, because screening for cervical cancer alone can prevent many deaths.
• Proponents say that while screening is important, it is difficult to implement this in Indian healthcare settings. Vaccine opponents have also raised the issue of rare side-effects.
• However, it is imperative that India has a huge burden of HPV and solutions to relieve it must be thought of and implemented on an urgent basis.

Source

The Hindu