The Government of India is preparing to launch the National HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccination Program across the country. The main objective of this campaign is to save girls from cervical cancer. This cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and affects thousands of families every year. The government believes that by starting vaccination on time, the cases and deaths of this disease can be significantly reduced in the coming years.

Under this program, HPV vaccine will be given to girls of 14 years of age every year. It is estimated that about 1.15 crore girls will come under the scope of this scheme every year. This vaccine will be completely free and will be administered on a voluntary basis. That means, girls will be given the vaccine only with the consent of their parents. The government’s focus will be on providing easy access to school-going adolescent girls, so that more and more girls can be safe.

Why is this vaccine important?
Every year, about 80,000 new cervical cancer cases are reported in India and about 42,000 women die from this disease. Its main cause is the HPV virus, especially its types 16 and 18. This virus spreads through infection and sometimes remains in the body for a long time without symptoms. Later this infection can take the form of cancer. According to experts, HPV vaccine is considered to be 93 to 100 percent effective, which can reduce the risk of cancer to a great extent in the future.

which vaccine will be used
Gardasil vaccine will be used in this national program. This vaccine protects against HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in many cases even a single dose can provide sufficient protection, although the final guidelines will be decided by the Health Ministry. This vaccine is already being used in many countries and is considered safe.