The programme will target approximately 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years every year across all States and Union Territories. The vaccine will be provided free of cost at designated Government health facilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Programme in Rajasthan’s Ajmer. The move is aimed at strengthening preventive healthcare against cervical cancer. Following the launch, the Prime Minister addressed a rally in the state and claimed that the NDA government is determined to ensure development across all levels, and the launch of the HPV vaccine is testimony to that.
“Our government is committed to all-around development. In line with this, today in Ajmer, we had the privilege of launching the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign along with the inauguration and foundation stone laying of several projects, and the distribution of appointment letters to the youth,” PM Modi said.
The programme will target approximately 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years every year across all States and Union Territories. The vaccine will be provided free of cost at designated Government health facilities. Vaccination will be conducted at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary health centres), community health centres, sub-district and district hospitals, as well as government medical colleges and hospitals. The medical sessions will be supervised by medical officers and adequate healthcare teams. The medical sites will have functional cold chain points (CCPs) and will be linked to 247 government health facilities to ensure immediate medical support and management of any rare adverse events following immunisation (AEFI).
The move came amid the country’s existing struggle with cervical cancer. The disease is the second most common cancer, with more than 1 lakh 20 thousand new cases and over 80,000 deaths being registered as per the GLOBOCAN 2022 data.
