New Delhi: The country’s first indigenous vaccine for cervical cancer or uterine cancer has been developed. While the Serum Institute of India (SII) has come up with the Cervavac vaccine, its third phase of testing has been completed. The vaccine will be available in the market by the end of this year.
The cost is likely to be between Rs 200-400. But we will finalize it after discussing with the Government of India. Once we start production, we will be able to discuss more about it. “This will be significantly less than what is available from manufacturers around the world today,” Poonawala said at an event to announce the vaccine’s development.
First of all, enough vaccines will be given to the people in the country. Later there are plans to send it abroad. 20 crore doses will be given in the next 2 years. First, it is aimed to give this vaccine to girls aged 10 to 14 years. Last July, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted market approval to SII for the manufacture of the qHPV vaccine Cervavac. Biotechnology department secretary Rajesh Gokhale said the vaccine was tested on more than 2,000 volunteers.
Among the total number of cancer patients, the incidence of cervical cancer is the second highest in the country. Due to lack of awareness, women could not know this disease in the first stage. As a result, about 98% of women go to the hospital for treatment in the last stage. Because of the delay, they are less likely to be cured, which leads to death.