"Quick win" with cervical cancer prevention project

At least 1 million doses of HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and other related cancers will be given to Thai women and girls aged 11 to 20 over the next 100 days.

Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew stressed his determination to control cervical cancer among Thai women and girls. (Source: The Nation)

Thai Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the move is part of the Ministry of Health 's "Quick Win" project to create a series of practical achievements within 100 days.

In an effort to maximize cervical cancer prevention, the Thai Ministry of Public Health launched a free HPV vaccination program for children in 2018. The vaccine will be given free to fifth-grade students in 2019, along with a cervical cancer screening program.

However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily interrupted the program, and students aged 13 to 15 have not been vaccinated with this vaccine.

Minister Cholnan said the ministry will work with the Department of Disease Control to speed up the development of vaccination guidelines, while provincial health offices will assess the number of target groups and the National Health Security Agency will be empowered to expedite the purchase of additional HPV vaccines.

“The vaccination will be divided into two groups,” Cholnan said. “The first group will be female students from grades 5-12, who will be vaccinated through a school-based program in coordination with the Ministry of Education . The other group will be Thai women who have graduated from high school or higher and can get vaccinated at any local hospital nationwide,” he said.

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