On September 11, the State Council Information Office announced that HPV vaccine vaccination services for eligible girls will be launched this year, and the HPV vaccine will be officially included in the National Immunization Program (NIP). This marks the first time that the target population of immunization has been expanded from children under 6 years old to adolescents, and the scope of diseases prevented has been extended from infectious diseases to the field of tumors.
The formulation and promotion of this policy allow all people to truly feel its far-reaching significance for public health, and inject strong momentum into China's process of eliminating cervical cancer.
To this end, we have specially invited Professor Lihui Wei from Peking University People's Hospital, an expert in the field of cervical cancer prevention and treatment, to share professional insights and practical guidance in combination with this policy and program.
Steady Advancement of Prevention and Control Path from Planning to Implementation
In January 2023, the National Health Commission, together with 10 ministries and commissions including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, issued the Action Plan for Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer (2023-2030). This plan clearly states that it is necessary to improve the comprehensive prevention and control mechanism of cervical cancer, promote HPV vaccine vaccination for eligible girls, accelerate the review and approval of domestic vaccines that meet the requirements, and encourage regions with conditions to take the lead in pilot projects. In clinical practice, we can see how these plans are transformed into practical actions step by step—from the exploration of local pilots to the current national-level coverage of the immunization program, each step has made the prevention and control network more tight.
Behind this initiative lies the adoption and continuation of China's mature ideas and experience in preventing and controlling infectious diseases through vaccines. From the perspective of clinical prevention and treatment practice, the preventive effect of the HPV vaccine on cervical cancer reflects the core value of "shifting the focus forward". Clinical data have long confirmed that 99.7% of cervical cancers are related to HPV infection, and the vaccine can accurately block the infection of high-risk HPV, which is equivalent to setting up a protective barrier before the onset of the disease. The inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the National Immunization Program is precisely to extend this barrier to more people, especially adolescents, providing protection before they are exposed to the risk of the virus.
China's Actions Under the Global Goal
This year marks the fifth anniversary countdown to the 2030 goal of accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). China's inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the National Immunization Program is a specific practice in response to this global goal. This initiative not only reflects the country's emphasis on public health—building a herd immunity barrier by increasing vaccination rates—but also takes into account the diversity of individual needs, providing people with more choices.
From the perspective of the global prevention and control pattern, the elimination of cervical cancer requires each country to explore paths in light of its own national conditions. China's inclusion of the vaccine in the immunization program is not only in line with the "universal protection" concept advocated by WHO, but also demonstrates China's great power responsibility in the field of public health.
Solidifying the Foundation and Meeting Diverse Needs
The HPV vaccine included in the National Immunization Program this time accurately meets the core needs of China's cervical cancer prevention and control, which can quickly improve the level of group protection and lay a solid group foundation for the elimination of cervical cancer.
It should be specially noted that HPV vaccine vaccination is not limited to the age range covered by the immunization program—women of other age groups who meet the criteria can also choose the vaccine freely according to their own needs. At present, there are domestic and imported HPV vaccines of bivalent, quadrivalent, and nonavalent types on the Chinese market. Different valency types cover different virus subtypes, which can meet diverse protection needs.
From the perspective of China's epidemiological characteristics, women have two peak periods of HPV infection, which means that HPV vaccine vaccination for the entire population aged 9-45 is of great practical significance. Whether it is adolescents in the younger age group or adult women with protection needs, timely vaccination can effectively reduce the risk of HPV infection and add protection to their own health, which is also one of the important directions for China to promote cervical cancer prevention and control.
In addition, a number of studies have shown that HPV vaccine vaccination for men can not only help achieve the WHO cervical cancer elimination goal faster when vaccine coverage is insufficient and further reduce the HPV infection rate among both men and women, but also prevent diseases such as penile cancer, anal cancer, and genital warts in men themselves, and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to partners, contributing to the elimination of cervical cancer. At present, the imported nonavalent HPV vaccine has been approved for vaccination in men aged 16-26, providing an option for men's protection.
The Responsibility and Mission of Medical Workers
Professor Lihui Wei from Peking University People's Hospital stated that as medical workers, promoting the prevention and control of cervical cancer is an unshirkable responsibility.
First, actively recommend HPV vaccine vaccination for eligible populations. Focus on recommending vaccination for eligible people aged 9-45, and especially advocate for people in the younger age group to be vaccinated as early as possible—clinical data have confirmed that completing vaccination before exposure to the HPV virus can achieve the optimal protective effect, which is also a key link in reducing the risk of cervical cancer.
Second, do a good job in popularizing knowledge about diseases and prevention. Convey core information to the public, such as the relationship between HPV infection and cervical cancer, and the principle of vaccine protection, helping the public establish scientific cognition and reduce misunderstandings.
At present, China has issued a number of authoritative expert consensuses and clinical guidelines in the field of cervical cancer prevention and treatment, such as the Chinese Clinical Application Guidelines for Prophylactic Human Papillomavirus Vaccines (2025 Edition) and the Expert Consensus on Cervical Cancer Screening and Abnormal Management in China. These documents provide clear and standardized guidance for clinical practice and popular science work. Medical workers can carry out their work in combination with the content of the guidelines to ensure the scientificity and professionalism of prevention and control measures and better serve public health.
A Promising Future: Accelerated Achievement of Prevention and Control Goals
With the inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the National Immunization Program, the vaccination rate is expected to increase significantly; combined with the continuous advancement of cervical cancer screening, this "dual-pronged" prevention and control model will surely effectively control cervical cancer, a "killer" threatening women's health. Moreover, medical workers' promotion of work in accordance with guidelines and the expansion of protection dimensions such as male vaccination have brought the goal of eliminating cervical cancer closer.
Professor Wei said that as a medical worker who has long been engaged in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, she deeply feels the great responsibility while witnessing this process, and is also full of confidence in the achievement of the goal. In the future, we will continue to do a good job in vaccination guidance and popular science education, so that more people can truly enjoy the health dividends brought by policies and science.