The GlaxoSmithKline Viet Nam is finishing paper work so that a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may be circulated in Viet Nam by the end of 2007.
The HPV vaccine helps prevent most cases of genital warts and cervical cancer.
However, each injection costs VND1.5 million (around US$100) or VND4.5 million for the three doses needed for full protection, which is high enough that Vietnamese women from low-income families or in the countryside often cannot afford it.
In related news, a project to conduct HPV vaccinations in Viet Nam is in progress, sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates’ funding through the PATH organization.
When the project finishes, Viet Nam will receive US$245,000 for carrying it out. Around 800 Vietnamese girls will benefit from the project.
