China plans to include the human papillomavirus vaccine in its national immunization program, Shen Hongbing, head of the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention and deputy director of the National Health Commission, said on Thursday.

Shen said the country would roll out HPV vaccination services this year for all eligible girls, aimed at protecting women's health.

So far, at least 17 provincial-level regions have announced that they will provide free HPV vaccines to eligible girls, typically those between the ages of 9 and 14. These programs use domestically developed vaccines that protect against the two most common HPV strains.

Calls to incorporate HPV vaccines into the national immunization program have grown stronger in recent years due to the increasing availability of affordable domestic vaccines, as well as the rising burden of cervical cancer — the fifth most common cancer among women in China.

Human papillomavirus infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

The nation's free immunization program now covers 14 vaccines that can protect against 15 diseases. The program has not been expanded since 2007.