2023-09-16 05:55:59
Thailand Launches Urgent Vaccination Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer among Young Women
Dr. Chonnan Srikaew, the Minister of Public Health, has announced a crucial effort to vaccinate women aged 11 to 20 years against cervical cancer in Thailand. The campaign aims to administer one million doses of the vaccine within 100 days, following an alarmingly high number of cases reported annually affecting over 6,000 Thai women.
Cervical cancer ranks as the second most common type of cancer among women in Thailand, after breast cancer. Approximately 2,000 individuals lose their lives each year due to this form of cancer. It is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can be prevented through vaccination before individuals become sexually active.
Dr. Chonnan highlighted that Thai female students in primary schools have already been receiving a two-dose HPV vaccination service since 2017, making them immune to the virus. However, due to vaccine shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic between 2019 and 2022, women aged 18 and above were unable to receive the vaccine. The target group designated for vaccination was the students who were in Grade 5 during that specific period.
Currently, 13 to 15-year-olds remain unvaccinated. To address this gap, the Ministry of Public Health has included the acceleration of vaccinations for girls aged 11 to 20 years as part of the “Comprehensive Cancer” Quick Win policy. The Department of Disease Control has been given the responsibility of expediting vaccination guidelines, while the Provincial Public Health Office will assess the number of individuals in the target groups. Additionally, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has been permitted to expedite the procurement of additional vaccines.
The vaccination process will be divided into two parts. Children in grades 5 and 6 will receive their vaccinations through educational institutions in a school-based program, similar to the previous COVID-19 vaccination efforts in schools. The other group consists of non-school-going children and women aged 18 to 20 years who have completed their high school education. These individuals will receive their vaccinations at healthcare facilities. The ultimate goal is to administer at least one million doses of the HPV vaccine within the 100-day timeframe.
This urgent vaccination campaign represents a crucial step in the fight against cervical cancer in Thailand. By reaching young women and providing them with adequate protection against HPV, the government aims to significantly reduce the incidence and mortality rates associated with this deadly disease.
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