HPV vaccines to be included in the national calendar from 2025 (official)

The Ministry of Health will introduce Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines into the national vaccination calendar in 2025 as a preventive measure against cervical cancer for young girls aged between 12 and 14, said director of primary health care, Chekib Zedini. Speaking to TAP on Thursday, on the inauguration of the medications and vaccines warehouse in Bardo, he said the technical committee on vaccination is considering the inclusion of this new vaccine for the first time in Tunisia. He added that the first injection of this vaccine will be administered at the beginning of 2025, for the benefit of young girls in school. This new vaccination is a means of preventing infection with the HPV virus, which can be one of the causes of cervical cancer. The spokesperson pointed out that the technical committee on vaccination meets regularly to review the epidemiological situation in Tunisia and worldwide, and takes decisions to add or remove any type of vaccination depending on the evolution of the epidemiologica l situation. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Tunisia, after breast cancer, and causes the death of 150 women each year. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse