The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine free vaccination area for school-age women has added another city.

A few days ago, some media quoted the Zhengzhou Municipal Health Commission of Henan Province as saying that in September this year, Zhengzhou plans to pilot the implementation of HPV vaccination for school-age women in Xinmi, and promote it in 2023 according to the pilot situation.

　　Just two days ago, Mianyang, Sichuan, and Linyi County, Dezhou, Shandong have also successively launched free HPV vaccinations for school-age women.

From Ordos, Inner Mongolia, which "eats crabs" at the beginning, to Xiamen, Fujian, Jinan, Shandong, Chengdu, Sichuan, and Xinmi, Henan, which is the latest "listed", the free vaccination of HPV vaccines for women of school age is accelerating.

　　Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in women and the second most common female malignancy in my country.

The huge population base and the rising incidence of cervical cancer have increased the public health burden in my country.

Fortunately, scientific research has confirmed that cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection of high-risk HPV virus, and it is currently the only cancer with a clear etiology, preventable and controllable.

The HPV vaccine is the most effective way to prevent cervical cancer.

　　The free HPV vaccine will protect this and the next generation of women from the threat of cervical cancer for life.

In addition, because there is a "best time" for HPV vaccination - according to WHO's initiative, women are best vaccinated before their first sexual act, that is, between the ages of 9 and 14.

This also means that vaccination is almost in a race against potential risks. One day earlier, more women will be included in the "appropriate age" range, and more people will be protected.

In the comments of netizens, this measure of benefiting the people is warmly called "a gift from a city", which is an affirmation of accurate and practical people's livelihood services.

　　Can the "gifts" of more cities allow us to usher in a cervical cancer-free society earlier?

With the popularization of scientific knowledge, the society's recognition of HPV vaccine is getting higher and higher, and the news that "one vaccine is hard to get" is not new.

However, the phenomenon of “unequal heat and cold” in urban and rural areas is still obvious. The current organization and implementation of HPV vaccination are mostly concentrated in cities and schools, and the needs of rural areas, especially remote areas, have not been paid enough attention.

　　In addition, women of the right age can still prevent possible viral infections through vaccination, while women of other ages can only escort their health through strict precancer screening.

In other words, the shield against cervical cancer should be a system that includes vaccination, screening and treatment, and free HPV vaccination is just one part of it.

The latter may be more "sensational" and more visible, but the health care needs of women of other ages for cervical cancer screening should not be ignored.

　　Statistics show that in 2015, the proportion of women aged 20 to 64 who had received cervical cancer screening in the past was only 25.7%, of which the proportion of women aged 35 to 64 who had been screened was 31.4%.

This is still a long way from the promise that China has joined in the Global Strategy to Accelerate Cervical Cancer Elimination that 70% of women will be screened by high-efficiency detection methods before the age of 35 and 45.

　　In 2019, cervical cancer screening for rural women will be included in basic public health services, and the continuity of cervical cancer screening may continue to improve.

It is foreseeable that as screening efforts reach more remote and underdeveloped places, there will be more problems arising from lack of information and outdated concepts.

How to make screening services wider and deeper, and how to deal with social prejudice and prejudice about women's bodies and sexuality more skillfully, directly tests the responsibility and patience of local governments.

(Author: Wang Dan)