Five vaccines against cancer-causinghuman papillomavirus (HPV) have been approved for registration in China, including three imported vaccines and two domestically developed equivalents, according to the press conference held by the National Health Commission (NHC) on Monday.

According to official statistics, the number of vaccination doses against HPVhas been increasing year by year, from 3.417 million in 2018 to 12.279 million doses in 2020. But the vaccine still can’t meet the surging demand in China overall.

Some pilot cities in China have vaccinated women of appropriate ages, while others have covered 90 percent of secondary school girls, said Wang Linhong, an expert with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The country will summarize the experience and further promote the free HPV vaccination policy to cover more people, as well as strengthen coordination among different departments to enlarge vaccine supply, said Wang.

The two-valent, four-valent, and nine-valent HPV vaccines available in China are designed for use by women from the age of nine to 45 and protect against HPV 16 and 18 types, the two most common viruses that lead to cervical cancer. Two-valent vaccines can prevent over 70 percent of cervical cancers, said Wang.

Wang also pointed out that HPV vaccines are most effective among teenage girls, suggesting the primary target population for HPV vaccination include girls aged nine to 14 years, who should be vaccinated as soon as possible as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO).