HPV vaccine

HPV-related cancer is the only type of cancer that can be completely prevented by introducing universal HPV vaccination.

In accordance with the National Vaccination Calendar of the Republic of Kazakhstan and taking into account the WHO recommendation, HPV vaccination will be given to girls aged 11 years twice with an interval of 6 months. At the same time, Kazakhstan will use a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against the most oncogenic types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18).

All of them are intended for introduction preferably before the beginning of sexual intercourse activity, that is, before contact with HPV. However, it is also possible use in men and women under 45 years of age.

HPV vaccines are highly immunogenic. They are administered intramuscularly, which provides quick access to draining lymph nodes. These vaccines also contain adjuvants that induce an anti-inflammatory environment, helping to activate a strong humoral response and create a robust immune memory.

All vaccines are manufactured using recombinant DNA and cell culture technology from purified structural protein L1, which is self-assembled to form type-specific empty HPV envelopes called virus-like particles (VLPs). HPV vaccines do not contain viable biological material or viral DNA, so they cannot lead to infection. HPV vaccines use different expression systems; they contain adjuvants and do not contain antibiotics or preservatives.

To date, 125 countries (64%) have included the HPV vaccine in their national vaccination programmes for use in girls, and 47 countries (24%) have also included it for use in boys. In many countries, the experience of using the vaccine is more than 10 years. For the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region, Armenia, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have included HPV vaccination in their respective adolescent/adult immunization schedules. At the same time, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reported a coverage rate of 99% to WHO.