In Depth: Success of Local HPV Vaccine Campaigns Highlights Shortcomings Nationwide

For veteran gynecologist Duan Xianzhi, Aug. 1, 2020, is a special day. Since that Saturday, Jungar Banner, a county-level jurisdiction in the city of Ordos in northern region of Inner Mongolia, became the first place in the Chinese mainland to administer free 2-valent HPV vaccines for schoolgirls aged 13 to 18.

Duan, who works at Beijing Tongren Hospital, is behind the vaccination drive that would lead the way for other parts of the country. Currently, 15 cities across China are under a pilot program to promote HPV vaccines in the fight against the virus that causes cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women.