Guntur, March 10: HPV Vaccination Drive in Guntur district has been officially launched to protect young girls from cervical cancer. District Collector A. Thameem Ansariya inaugurated the vaccination programme on Tuesday at the Ayushman Arogya Kendra in Pattabhi Gardens, Guntur town.
Speaking to the media, the Collector said that the vaccine will be administered to girls who have completed 14 years of age and have entered their 15th year. He explained that cervical cancer is one of the major health threats affecting women in India and that the vaccination programme aims to prevent the disease at an early stage.
The Collector said the national programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ajmer on February 28, while the initiative was simultaneously started in Andhra Pradesh by the Chief Minister in Vizianagaram. As part of the HPV Vaccination Drive in Guntur, the programme will be conducted for 90 days across the district.
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He said vaccines will be distributed through Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and other government hospitals that have a total of 83 cold chain points in the district. The Collector stated that each vaccine dose costs about ₹4,000, but the government is providing it free of cost to eligible girls considering the importance of public health.
According to official estimates, the district has 14,167 eligible girls, and about 21,170 doses will be required to complete the vaccination drive. So far, 6,793 doses have already been supplied to the district. The Collector urged health officials and staff to work with dedication to make the programme successful and achieve the goal of preventing cervical cancer.
District Medical and Health Officer Dr. K. Vijayalakshmi said that girls aged 14 years (those who have completed their 14th birthday but have not yet celebrated their 15th birthday) are eligible for the vaccine. She advised that girls suffering from moderate or severe illness should take the vaccine only after fully recovering.
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She also clarified that girls who previously had allergic reactions to the vaccine, those with yeast allergies, and pregnant girls should not receive the vaccination. All vaccination details will be uploaded on the U-WIN portal.
Parents were advised to ensure that girls eat food before coming for vaccination and not come on an empty stomach. After receiving the vaccine, the girls should remain at the vaccination centre for at least 30 minutes for observation.
also read https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hpv-infection/in-depth/hpv-vaccine/art-20047292
District Immunization Officer Sravan Babu, DPMO Sujatha, Tahsildar Subhani, and other officials participated in the programme.
