A community health officer plans HPV vaccination for adolescent girls using the nonavalent vaccine currently available in India. Which HPV types does this vaccine cover?

• A Types 6, 11, 16 and 18 only
• B Types 16 and 18 only
• C Types 16, 18, 35, 39, 45, 51, 56, 58 and 59
• D Types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 ✓

Explanation

The nonavalent (9-valent) vaccine covers HPV 6 and 11, which cause genital warts, together with seven oncogenic types: 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, providing protection against approximately 90 percent of cervical cancers. The quadrivalent vaccine covers only 6, 11, 16 and 18, and the bivalent covers 16 and 18. The list in option C consists entirely of high-risk types and omits the wart-causing types, so it matches no licensed product.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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