Ahmedabad, May 14 (IANS). Over 31,000 adolescent girls in Ahmedabad have been given free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination as part of a city-wide campaign launched to protect them from cervical cancer. With this, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has achieved 65 percent of its vaccination target so far.
According to data released by the Municipal Corporation, as of May 12, 31,579 doses of the vaccine had been given to girls aged 14 to 15 years under a special mega vaccination campaign being run across the city. “As of May 12, 31,579 vaccinations have been administered under this campaign. This means 65 per cent of eligible adolescent girls have already received the HPV vaccine,” the AMC said.
This campaign being run by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation will continue till May 31. AMC has identified 48,443 eligible adolescent girls for HPV vaccination across Ahmedabad. Municipal Corporation officials said that the objective of this campaign is to increase health awareness among adolescent girls and ensure protection from cervical cancer through timely vaccination.
The Municipal Corporation said that eligible adolescent girls can get vaccinated for free at any urban health center or hospital run by AMC during the campaign period.
The officials also mentioned the financial relief being provided through this citizen initiative. He said that in private hospitals the price of this vaccine is usually around Rs 3,000 apart from the consultation fee.
Municipal Corporation officials said that this campaign has been started to provide protection from serious and fatal diseases like cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is considered one of the safest and most effective ways to protect against cervical cancer.
Health officials said the campaign is being run as a special mega campaign to ensure widespread coverage among eligible beneficiaries before the end of the month.
–IANS
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