Breaking News:HPV vax drive targets 39,000 girls in Belagavi district | Hubballi News– What Just Happened

Belagavi: In a major initiative to prevent cervical cancer, the health and family welfare department launched an HPV (Human papillomavirus) vaccination campaign in Belagavi district. The programme aims to provide free vaccination to over 39,000 girls aged 14 to 15 years across the district. The campaign was rolled out on March 10, and vaccination began. Beneficiaries are being issued vaccination certificates similar to Covid-19 vaccination certificates.Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the country. The number of cases is increasing every year, which is alarming, but medical experts say that the vaccine to prevent this disease caused by the HPV virus is 93 to 100% effective.Vaccination is being provided to eligible girls at all govt hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres in Belagavi district. Priority is given to vaccinating girls between the ages of 14 and 15. The department of education and the department of health are jointly making efforts to call eligible female students from school to the nearest hospital and administer the vaccine.Ishwar Gadad, district health office, said that the HPV vaccine has been used for many years to prevent cervical cancer. The govt decided to vaccinate girls across the country using a campaign model. The HPV vaccine is available in many brands across the country and costs up to Rs 11,000 in private hospitals. Therefore, this vaccine is expensive for ordinary people. The govt is purchasing the vaccine and providing it free of cost.The vaccination campaign suffered a setback at the beginning as it was exam time. He said that the HPV virus is produced entirely domestically and is exported abroad from India. When the Covid vaccination began, it started at a similar slow pace, but later, most people got vaccinated. The campaign started slowly, and the impact of the campaign can be analysed after three months.This campaign started slowly, and in two to three months, it will ramp up the vaccination programme for girls. He said that vaccination plays an important role in preventing cervical cancer.According to the health and family welfare department, Belagavi district set a target of administering a total of 39,900 vaccines—6,500 in Belagavi taluk; 5,500 each in Gokak and Savadatti; 4,500 in Chikodi taluk; and 3,000 each in Hukkeri, Raibag, Bailhongal, and Ramadurga taluka.Zilla panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde said that parents should not worry and should cooperate in getting their children vaccinated. Cervical cancer is a serious disease that is most common in women, and the HPV vaccine is very effective in preventing it. Against this backdrop, a campaign to provide free vaccination to eligible girls was launched in Belagavi district. Steps are being taken to ensure that a large number of female students get vaccinated in cooperation with schools.