China will expand the coverage of free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations, and step up efforts to curtail the shortage of the vaccine supply to meet demand, Wang Linhong, the chief expert on chronic and non-communicable disease control at China's CDC, said at a press conference on Monday.

China first rolled out the free HPV vaccination plans in south China's Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian provinces since January, 2022. Later, many cities came out with free vaccination plans at schools or fixed subsidies for school girls.

Currently, there are five HPV vaccines registered for use in China, including two developed domestically and three imported ones that cover 2-, 4- and 9-valent HPV vaccines. Women and girls aged 9 to 45 are eligible to receive the vaccination for HPV.

These vaccines help prevent and lower the chances of cervical and other cancers. It works the best if administered before exposure to HPV.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, but it can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly. Vaccination against HPV is a cost-effective way to prevent cancer and prevent mortalities related to it.

HPV 16 and 18 are the two most common "high-risk" genotypes of the virus, which cause approximately 70 percent of all cervical cancers, and a bivalent HPV vaccine is effective against these two strains, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO recommends vaccinating girls aged 9 to 14 years, when most have not started sexual activity.