1,769 Girls Receive HPV Vaccine on First Day of Drive in Telangana
The Gardasil-4 vaccine, which costs between Rs.3,000 and Rs.4,000 in the private market, is being administered free of cost at government and area hospitals with support from the Union government.
Hyderabad: As many as 1,769 girls aged 14 years received the Gardasil 4 vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) by 7 pm on Sunday in 32 districts of the state. Medak will launch the vaccination programme in the next two days.
Speaking after launching the drive on Sunday morning, health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India after breast cancer. “Around 3,200 cervical cancer cases are reported annually in Telangana,” he said.
To prevent the disease, the state government has launched an HPV vaccination drive for girls aged 14 years, targeting around four lakh girls across the state. Health officials are conducting follow-ups with parents to monitor children's health after vaccination.
The Gardasil-4 vaccine, which costs between Rs.3,000 and Rs.4,000 in the private market, is being administered free of cost at government and area hospitals with support from the Union government.
In Medak district, which did not begin its vaccination drive, officials said they were waiting for dignitaries to formally inaugurate it.