Therapeutic HPV Vaccination: A Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination in India

Prophylactic HPV vaccines are one of the most effective methods of prevention against cervical cancer. However, their effectiveness reduces in the presence of existing HPV infection. This review aims to underscore the potential of therapeutic HPV vaccines in alleviating the burden of cervical cancer in India.

An extensive search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords “prophylactic HPV vaccine”, “cervical cancer”, “immunotherapy”, “vaccine hesitancy”, “therapeutic HPV vaccine”, “screening”, “cervical cancer trends”, “HPV vaccine coverage”.

The burden of cervical cancer is highest but underreported in LMICs, where the HPV vaccination coverage is also poor. In India, there is a considerable cohort of unvaccinated women who can benefit from therapeutic HPV vaccine for the prevention as well treatment for cervical cancer.

Therapeutic HPV vaccines could serve as a safe and effective intervention, synergizing with prophylactic HPV vaccine to aid India’s efforts towards the global elimination of cervical cancer.