NAFDAC Approves Vaccines For Cervical Cancer

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has approved single dose of Gardasil vaccine in the treatment of cervical cancer in the country.

Consequently, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, is to commence the introduction of the off-label use of quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine as a single dose schedule into the routine immunization.

This was revealed by Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who disclosed this at a joint press conference with NPHCDA in Abuja yesterday, said there was an urgent need for effective and sustainable interventions to prevent and control cervical cancer in Nigeria and other African countries.

She explained that the ” decision to deploy the off-label Gardasil as a single dose schedule is based on the scientific evidence that shows that a single dose of Gardasil vaccine can provide solid protection against cervical cancer caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs).

“NAFDAC is in support of this decision as data from immunogenicity trials, post-hoc analyses of efficacy trials, and post-licensure observational studies among females have demonstrated that a single dose of HPV vaccine is sufficient to elicit an immune response that provides similar protection as a multidose regimen against initial and persistent HPV infection.”

”About 119,000 new cases and 81,000 deaths from cervical cancer occurred in Africa in 2020, accounting for 22.5% of the global burden.