[ad_1]
London – A vaccine given to girls to protect them from a virus that causes cervical cancer is an "essential" health tool and access to it should be expanded as soon as possible, especially in the poorest countries, say specialists cancer.
Figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (IARC) showed that about 570,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2018 , making it the fourth most common cancer in women.
Every year, more than 310,000 women die from cervical cancer, with the vast majority of the poorest countries having low vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV).
In rich countries, some anti-vaccine activists also persuade parents to refuse shooting for their children, leaving them at risk, the IARC said.
"Unfounded rumors about HPV vaccines continue to delay or unnecessarily prevent the intensification of vaccination," said Elisabete Weiderpbad, IARC Director. She said the IARC was committed to fighting cervical cancer and "unequivocally confirms the effectiveness and safety" of HPV vaccines.
The British company GSK is producing an HPV vaccine called Cervarix, which targets two strains of the virus, while Merck is making a rival injection, Gardasil, targeting nine strains.
In a statement to the WHO last week, the GAVI Vaccine Alliance called for increased support for HPV vaccines, saying it aimed to vaccinate 40 million girls in developing countries. the poorest against HPV by 2020. This would prevent about 900,000 deaths, GAVI said.
IARC said reducing the cost of vaccines in the poorest countries would play a vital role in improving access to these vaccines. She said she was working with the generic drug manufacturer Serum Institute of India to develop an HPV vaccine that "could provide a high quality alternative at a lower cost."
Reuters
[ad_2]
Source link
