Bangkok: The government aims to enhance the health of Thai women by reducing cervical cancer rates through the expansion of free HPV vaccination services to female students at 24 pilot universities.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sasikarn Wattanachan, Deputy Government Spokesperson, emphasized the government's commitment to improving women's health by reducing cervical cancer's impact. The Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), is set to broaden the vaccination initiative to include female students at these universities nationwide.
This initiative builds on the existing policy of providing HPV vaccinations for girls aged 11-12 years, or Mathayom 5 students. While the target group has expanded to include those aged 11-20, it was discovered that some female students in higher education had not received the vaccine. The Ministry of Public Health has thus launched this pilot project to increase vaccine accessibility for female students aged 20-26 years who have not been vaccinated. Data will be gathered in the pilot universities before potentially expanding the program to other institutions.
The vaccine used in this project is a 9-strain type requiring only one injection, which studies have shown to be effective in creating long-term immunity. Besides bolstering immunity against cervical cancer, the program provides opportunities for those who missed the initial target group vaccination.
The 24 pilot universities include Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, Khon Kaen University, Chiang Mai University, and others such as Thammasat University, Mahidol University, and the National Institute of Development Administration. The government encourages female students to partake in this initiative to collectively build immunity against the HPV virus and reduce cervical cancer's prevalence among Thai women, as stated by Ms. Sasikarn.