China News Service, Beijing, April 26 (Reporter Li Chun) "No matter how effective a vaccine is, if the public does not vaccinate it, it will not play its role." In a live broadcast of online science popularization on the evening of the 25th, the world Zuo Shuyan, project officer of the Expanded Immunization Program of the WHO Representative Office in China, said, "So I propose that vaccines protect everyone, and we will participate together."

　　The World Health Organization has designated the last week of April each year as "World Immunization Week", and this year's theme is "Vaccines Make Us Closer."

During the "World Immunization Week", officials from the World Health Organization's representative office in China and Chinese medical experts participated in a live broadcast of health science popularization in China, calling on the public to pay attention to immunization, especially for young women aged 9 to 14 years old to be vaccinated with human papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to strengthen cervical cancer prevention.

　　Robert Kezaala, Medical Officer of the Expanded Immunization Program of the World Health Organization's Representative Office in China, said that WHO recommends countries to include 10 vaccines including BCG, hepatitis B vaccine, and polio vaccine into their national immunization programs.

Many vaccines have good effects, but due to cost or other practical considerations, they may not be available under certain circumstances.

For example, the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer still needs to be popularized.

Zuo Shuyan, project officer of the Expanded Immunization Program of the World Health Organization Representative Office in China, attended the live broadcast.

Webcast screenshots

　　In this regard, Zuo Shuyan pointed out that early inoculation of HPV vaccines for women between 9 and 45 years old is a "very effective strategy to prevent cervical cancer."

WHO recommends giving priority to the vaccine for girls between 9 and 14 years old.

Delaying vaccination is likely to increase the risk of women being infected with human papillomavirus and reduce the benefits of HPV vaccination.

　　Zuo Shuyan also said that three HPV vaccines are currently being used for vaccination, namely bivalent, quadrivalent, and quaternary HPV vaccines, all of which have good safety, effectiveness and protective effects.

He also reminded that women should be regularly screened for cervical cancer after the age of 30, and HPV vaccination cannot replace screening.

　　According to statistics, there will be approximately 604,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide in 2020, and approximately 342,000 deaths.

Among them, the number of new cases of cervical cancer in China is about 110,000, and the death toll is about 59,000.

In November 2020, WHO launched the "Global Strategy for Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer", and 194 countries including China pledged to eliminate this cancer for the first time.

　　Qiao Youlin, a professor at the School of Medicine and Public Health of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, said that the goal set by the WHO is to eliminate cervical cancer in the world by the end of this century. The interim goal by 2030 is: 90% of girls are 15 years old. Before completing HPV vaccination, 70% of adult women received at least one high-precision screening at the age of 35 and 45, and 90% of women with confirmed cervical cancer and precancerous lesions received standardized treatment.

　　Qiao Youlin said that only by increasing the HPV vaccination rate and strengthening cervical cancer screening can China hope to eliminate cervical cancer by 2050.

The HPV vaccination rate among young girls in China is much lower than that of adult women. Parents should pay more attention to the prevention of cervical cancer among underage girls and actively vaccinate HPV vaccines.

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