FG to Commence Vaccination against Cervical Cancer Next Week, Approves Gardasil Vaccine

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government yesterday said it was set to commence the vaccination of young girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years with single dose Gardasil vaccine next Tuesday,  as part of the routine immunisation against cervical cancer.

The deployment of the HPV vaccine to prevent the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection among young females in the country followed the approval granted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) on use of Gardasil vaccine as single dose in the routine immunisation against cervical cancer

Speaking at a joint press briefing with the Director General of  NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) , Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the commencement date for the deployment of the HPV vaccine would be Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

He explained that HPV vaccine has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective in preventing HPV infection and reducing the risk of cervical cancer

Shuaib said: “This vital vaccine introduction will occur in two phases. The first phase will encompass 16 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Enug Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

“The second phase is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024 and will encompass the remaining states: Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyl, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

“In each phase, we will initiate a five-day campaign encompassing schools, communities, marketplaces, government-owned health facilities and other public places, targeting girls aged 9 to 14.

“Subsequently, we will continue routine vaccination within health facilities for the same age group. By 2025, we anticipate transitioning to full routine Immunisation with the HPV vaccine, focusing on girls aged nine,” he said.

HPV infection has been identified as a high-risk factor, implicated in 95 per cent of cervical cancer cases

According to Shuaib, Nigeria alone contributes an estimated 12,075 new cases of global cervical cancer annually.

He said with 12,000 new diagnoses and 8,000 lives claimed each year, it translates to 33 new cervical cancer cases and 22 deaths every day in the country, adding that in Nigeria, one precious life was lost every hour.

He said  his agency was going to work with other partners to carry out a nationwide sensitisation campaign towards encouraging girls to take the HPV vaccine.

On her part, NAFDAC’s DG said Gardasil vaccine had been granted registration approval by the agency after rigorous regulatory evaluation process for vaccines.

She said the use of Gardasil as a single dose was granted following receipt of data from immunogenicity trials, post-hoc analyses of efficacy trials, and post-licensure observational studies among females who have demonstrated that a single dose of HPV vaccine is sufficient to elicit an immune response that provides similar protection as a multi-dose regimen against initial and persistent HPV infection.

Adeyeye, lamented that Nigeria has one of the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in the continent, with an estimated 15,000 new cases and 10,000 deaths annually.

She said several factors contribute to the high disease burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria, such as low awareness, poor screening coverage, limited access to treatment, and high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

“The decision to deploy the off-label Gardasil as a single dose schedule is based on the scientific evidence that shows that a single dose of Gardasil vaccine can provide solid protection against cervical cancer caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs).

“In line with its mandate to protect Public Health, NAFDAC is committed to ensuring the safety, quality and efficacy of the Gardasil vaccine, and will continue to monitor its impact and performance in Nigeria,” she said.