HPV vaccine rollout within next two weeks in state

Kolkata: The state health department is getting the final groundworkready for rolling out HPV vaccination programme across Bengal. Even as most states across the country have launched this vaccination campaign, the Bengal assembly polls kept its implementation in the state on hold. Now the decks are cleared and the health department is working on completing district and block-level manpower training to launch the campaign.Experts said that this vaccine can play a great role in shielding women against cervical cancer as HPV (human papilloma virus) infection accounts for 99.7% of all cervical cancer cases in women. "We got our vaccine lot for the campaign much ahead of the concluded assembly polls. Now preparations are on the move again and we can expect the campaign to start very soon," said state health and family welfare officer Ashim Das Malakar. Health department sources said the campaign will be launched within the next two weeks. The target is to vaccinate all girls who have celebrated their 14th birthday but yet to celebrate their 15th birthday. State officials have estimated the number of beneficiaries across the state to be around 10 lakh. Health experts said HPV is sexually transmitted and vaccinating girls before they become sexually active was an effective prevention. The state already received 7,72,650 doses of the vaccine from the Centre in early March. While these vaccines were despatched to different districts by the health department with the anticipation of starting the campaign, the assembly polls delayed the implementation. "The vaccination will be carried out from govt health facilities only — from primary health centres to teaching medical colleges. Our aim is to finish the campaign within three months," said a senior health official. The Bengal campaign is part of pan-India roll-out for an extensive HPV vaccination programme, which most states already started since the national launch on Feb 28. Experts said that cervical cancer caused by HPV is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer. The nationwide roll-out comes two years after the Union finance minister mentioned the govt's intention of cervical cancer vaccination during the 2024 interim budget. The present vaccination programme in the first phase is targeted at girls who are 14 years old. Sources said Gardasil-4 (Quadrivalent) vaccine, which is going to be used, protects against HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11. A single dose of the vaccine will be given to the girls in the target group free of cost. Experts said that the right time to vaccinate girls is before they become sexually active. A complete vaccination can cost anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 for a girl and is available only in the private sector. Experts said this factor was the deterrent for parents. Health department source said that while vaccination will begin from govt health facilities through dedicated HPV vaccination counters, the programme could be inducted into the immunisation programme later, when girls aged 9 years and above will also be included in the programme.