New 9-valent HPV vaccine for both men and women launched in Vietnam

At the symposium, MSD has also launched the 9-valent HPV vaccine – a gender-neutral vaccine helping to prevent HPV-associated diseases in both men and women. The vaccine helps to protect against up to nine popular HPV types.

First gender-neutral 9-valent HPV vaccine launched in Vietnam

HPV is a common virus responsible for a number of related cancers and diseases. There are more than 100 types of HPV, among those, 14 out of 40 types are sexually transmitted and can cause precancerous lesions, cervical cancer, anal and other genital cancers, as well as oropharyngeal cancer. The high-risk types of HPV are detected in 99 per cent of cases.

According to Global Cancer Observatory, in 2020, there were more than 4,000 people diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 2,000 died from the disease in Vietnam.

The country has a low HPV vaccination rate – remaining at 12 per cent in 2021. Thus, MSD signed a technical collaboration with the UN Population Fund in 2019 to support the Ministry of Health in rolling out the HPV vaccination programme.

Implemented from 2019 to 2023, the programme facilitates the scale-up of an HPV vaccination programme and addresses the reduction of HPV-related diseases. In addition, in order to raise public awareness of HPV’s risks and prevention, MSD also sponsors a community education programme organised by the Vietnam Association of Preventive Medicine through a wide range of impactful multi-channel activities.

Dr. Le Quang Thanh said at the symposium that men should not depend on women's immunity

Dr. Le Quang Thanh, director of Tu Du hospital in Ho Chi Minh City said at the symposium, “HPV does not discriminate between males and females. HPV-associated diseases affect both genders without exception. While the prevalence of genital HPV is higher in men than in women across all ages, herd immunity in men has long relied on the vaccination coverage among women. Also, screening measures to detect HPV-related cancers early in men are not available yet in Vietnam. Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccine will play an important role in providing direct protection for men.”

Dr. Tham Chi Dung, epidemiologist from the Ministry of Health emphasised, “Vaccinating both boys and girls is a common practice in many countries worldwide, yielding positive outcomes. Scientific studies demonstrate that periodic vaccination for men up to 26 years of age can increase the resilience rate 13 times in comparison with vaccinating only women.”

Dr. Tham Chi Dung emphasised that the role of HPV vaccination is essential to protect both males and females

Most cases of HPV infection have no clinical signs or symptoms. The World Health Organization launched their Global Strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030, emphasising the significance of sufficient coverage of HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and appropriate treatment. Achieving this goal requires collective efforts and collaboration from the healthcare community and both the public and private sectors.

Jennifer Cox, managing director at MSD Vietnam said, “We have been committed to vaccine research and innovation to protect communities for more than a century, with a strong focus on HPV vaccines. MSD is collaborating with the medical community and relevant organisations in Vietnam to raise public awareness of cervical cancer. We are also dedicated to ensuring equitable access to HPV vaccines in order to realise the mission of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.”