Jaipur, February 28 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination campaign across the country from Ajmer. This step is being considered a major effort towards protecting women from cervical cancer.
Under this campaign, eligible teenage girls will be vaccinated with HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which will reduce the risk of cervical cancer to a great extent in future.
On the first day, a total of 188 vaccination sessions were conducted in Rajasthan.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma urged parents of girls in the state to involve their daughters in this important public health initiative, calling it a decisive step towards women’s health empowerment and a cervical cancer-free future.
Health and Medical Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar said that as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this vaccine will be given in a single dose to girls who have completed 14 years but have not turned 15 years. He informed that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, and a comprehensive vaccination strategy has been prepared in the state to prevent it.
Chief Secretary (Health) Gayatri Rathore said more than 8.32 lakh girls are eligible for vaccination under the campaign. The quadruple vaccine Gardasil-4 will be administered intramuscularly in the left upper arm in a quantity of 0.5 ml.
A total of 1,000 health institutions in all the districts of the state have been identified for this vaccination.
Dr Amit Yadav, Mission Director, National Health Mission, said that only those health institutions which have functional cold chain points, designated medical officers and internet connectivity have been selected for the campaign.
Each vaccination site will have a dedicated team of vaccination workers, verifiers, awareness raisers and volunteers.
Training of NMS, ASHA workers, verifiers and awareness teams has been fully completed at the state, district and institutional levels to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign.
The state health department described the campaign as a landmark public health initiative to protect adolescent girls and strengthen preventive health infrastructure in Rajasthan.
–IANS
AMT/DKP
