The West Bengal government has launched a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive across the state to protect teenage girls from cervical cancer. The campaign was initiated by Prime Minister Suvendu Adhikari and aims to target approximately 7.65 lakh beneficiaries aged between 14 years, news agency PTI reported.
This initiative comes after the national launch of the human papillomavirus vaccination program earlier this year, and aims to contribute to the elimination of cervical cancer as a threat to public health, officials were quoted as saying.
Vaccination is voluntary and free and will only be performed after parental/guardian approval under the national programme.
Under the campaign, girls who have completed 14 years but not yet 15 years will get one dose of quadrivalent Gardasil-4 vaccine free of charge at designated government health facilities, officials said.
Officials said the vaccination sessions will be conducted at 881 designated government health facilities, including medical colleges, district hospitals, sub-hospitals, state general hospitals and primary health centres.
How does HPV vaccination help?
HPV vaccination has been validated and recommended by global and national expert bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO) and India’s National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
Cervical cancer has been a major public health problem across the world and in India. It is the second most common cancer among women in India, with more than 100,000 new cases and nearly 80,000 deaths reported annually as per the WHO GLOBOCAN Report 2022.
Persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, especially types 16 and 18, has been shown to be the main cause of cervical cancer.
The nationwide HPV vaccination campaign aims to prevent cervical cancer by protecting girls before potential exposure to HPV infection.
The government previously said the vaccine is safe and effective and provides long-term protection against the strains of HPV responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases.
How to benefit from the HPV vaccine
- Beneficiaries can pre-register and make appointments on the U-WIN digital platform, or opt for walk-in vaccination at designated government health facilities.
- Parental/guardian consent is mandatory and will be digitally recorded on U-WIN. In areas where there is no Internet access, approval can be obtained in hard copy according to the specified format.
- The U-WIN platform will be used for session planning, registration, registration and reporting, while the e-VIN portal will manage vaccine inventory and logistics.
