The free HPV vaccination project for school-age girls in Hainan is a project run by the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government.
On February 23, the Provincial Health Commission and the Provincial Department of Education jointly formulated and released the “2022 Hainan Province School-age Girls HPV Vaccination Project Implementation Plan” which plans to vaccinate 71,000 people in 2022.
According to the plan, the scope of the project is across 18 cities and counties in Hainan province. The plan is aimed at school-age girls (13 to 14.5 years old for the first dose of vaccination). Girls who have already been vaccinated against HPV are not included in the vaccination coverage.
The HPV vaccine requires two doses, after the first dose is administered, the person taking the vaccine will need to wait 6 months before the second dose to take effect. With both doses completed before the age of 15.
HPV and cervical cancer
A large majority of cervical cancer (more than 95%) is due to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Most sexually active women and men will be infected at some point in their lives, and some may be repeatedly infected. More than 90% of the infected populations eventually clear the infection.
Cervical cancer is by far the most common HPV-related disease. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be attributed to HPV infection.
Although most HPV infections clear up on their own and most pre-cancerous lesions resolve spontaneously, there is a risk for all women that HPV infection may become chronic, and pre-cancerous lesions progress to invasive cervical cancer.
It takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. It can take only 5 to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with untreated HIV infection
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