Haryana intensifies HPV vaccination drive to curb cervical cancer
Over 13,500 adolescent girls immunised and the state has secured 2.28 lakh doses to cover an estimated 2.26 lakh girls
Haryana has intensified its campaign against cervical cancer. Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi chaired a State Steering Committee review meeting to accelerate the rollout of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine across the state.
As of April 22, more than 13,500 girls have received the vaccine. The state has secured 2.28 lakh doses to cover an estimated 2.26 lakh girls aged 14-15 years, according to Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Sumita Misra.
Rastogi said single-dose vaccination strategy is expected to significantly bring results in the cervical cancer, the leading cancers among Indian women, with HPV infection responsible for the vast majority of cases.
The vaccination drive is being implemented through a structured, digitally enabled system. Beneficiaries are registered on the U-WIN platform, which also issues vaccination certificates automatically.
Training programmes for medical officers, vaccinators and frontline health workers have been completed at district and block levels.
To ensure safety, the State Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) committee has been activated to monitor and respond promptly to any post-vaccination events.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common infection of the reproductive tract and is responsible for around 99.7 per cent of cervical cancer in women.
The HPV vaccine prevents infection, thereby significantly reducing the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India and vaccination is an effective preventive measure.
The vaccine has minimal and mild side effects, such as pain at the injection site, mild fever or body ache, which can be easily managed with Paracetamol as advised by a doctor.
The vaccine is administered by trained health personnel under medical supervision.
“The HPV vaccine is safe, effective and approved by the Government of India after due scientific evaluation.160 countries worldwide are successfully administering the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls as part of their national immunisation programmes”, she said.
