The Ministry of Health of Ukraine is starting to introduce mandatory vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). The first doses of the nine-valent vaccine “Gardasil” have already arrived at the warehouse of the Medical Procurement of Ukraine. This is reported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The vaccine provides protection against nine types of HPV, including those associated with a high risk of developing cervical cancer and other oncological diseases.
The drug was purchased in July 2025 at the request of the Ministry of Health within the framework of two-year managed access agreements. The first batch of the vaccine will be distributed among the regions by the end of December, and the remaining doses are planned to be delivered in the summer of 2026.
According to the National Cancer Registry, approximately three thousand cases of cervical cancer are recorded in Ukraine every year. The mortality rate from this disease exceeds the average rate in the European Union countries by 2.5 times.
Currently, free one-time HPV vaccination for girls is included in national immunization programs in 149 countries around the world. In Ukraine, vaccination for girls aged 12–13 will become mandatory from January 1, 2026.
Today, more than 200 types of HPV are known, which are divided into low- and high-oncogenic. According to WHO estimates, in 2019, HPV caused about 620,000 cases of cancer among women and 70,000 cases among men. Cervical cancer remains the fourth most common cancer among women in the world.
The Gardasil vaccine is produced by the American pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD). The drug forms immune protection, in particular against HPV types 16 and 18, which are the main factors in the development of oncology.
