US, Oct. 7 -- Cervavac -- India's first indigenously developed human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine -- has received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) which makes it eligible for procurement by United Nations agencies and expands its potential global reach.

The vaccine -- which was developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) -- had earlier received approval from India's Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for domestic use.

Cervavac is a quadrivalent, gender-neutral vaccine that can be administered to both girls and boys between the ages of nine and 26 years.

It targets four HPV strains -- types 6, 11, 16 and 18. While HPV types 6 and 11 are commonly associated with genital warts, types 16 and 18 are consi...