NEW DELHI, Feb 28: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for 14-year old girls from Ajmer in Rajasthan to fight against cervical cancer.
The campaign was formally inaugurated at a programme held in Kayad, Ajmer, where several girls were administered the vaccine. The Prime Minister also interacted with the beneficiaries on the occasion.
According to officials, a single dose “Gardasil 4” vaccine, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, will be used under the campaign. The injection provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11.
The Union Health Ministry, in an official communication sent to all States on February 25, stated, “All 14-year-old girls across the country will be administered a single dose Gardasil 4 vaccine at government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges and hospitals.”
(Manas Dasgupta)