The Centre is launching a free vaccination programme to combat the Human Papillomavirus for adolescent girls in an effort to prevent cervical cancer, NDTV reported on Tuesday, citing health ministry sources. The programme will offer free vaccination via government health facilities and is likely to be geared towards girls aged 14 years all over India.
The vaccination programme will be voluntary and issued for free at select government health facilities, which includes Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, community and district hospitals, as well as government medical colleges.
All vaccination sessions will be supervised by trained medical officers, with systems set up for post-vaccination observation and to manage the rare outcomes where the vaccinated persons display adverse symptoms, the report added.
India will join over 160 countries that have already introduced HPV vaccination programmes.
The vaccine supplies for the programme have been secured through a globally supported procurement mechanism resulting from India's partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as per the report.
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The planned rollout comes after the scientific evaluation and recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, according to the report. India's programme will use the quadrivalent HPV vaccine Gardasil, which builds immunity against HPV types 16 and 18 linked to cervical cancer along with types 6 and 11.
Human Papillomavirus is a group of common viruses, some of which are transmitted via close skin-to-skin contact. Certain types can lead to the development of long-term cervical cancer.
More than 50 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been administered worldwide since 2006, displaying a strong worldwide record of efficacy and safety. The vaccine is 93-100% effective in averting cervical cancer stemming from the aforementioned HPV variants.
Vaccinating girls at the recommended age before they contract it drives down the long-term cost of cervical cancer and improves preventative healthcare for women.
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