13,204 girls get HPV jab since May 30 launch in state

Kolkata: The state has vaccinated more than 13,000 girls with the HPV jab since the drive was launched by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari last Saturday. Health officials expect the campaign to garner momentum after June 10, when training of all manpower in the districts is over. So far, South 24 Parganas has vaccinated the highest number of beneficiaries, while the number has remained low in Kolkata.

The Bengal HPV vaccination roll-out was inaugurated by Adhikari on May 30. The state’s target is to cover around 7.6 lakh girls across all districts who are 14 years but yet to be 15, with an aim to protect them from cervical cancer. According to experts, HPV infection accounts for 99.7% of all cervical cancer cases.

Started from 200-plus vaccination centres, the vaccination is taking place thrice daily, as Wednesdays and Thursdays are reserved for routine immunisation. In Kolkata, there have been only 27 sessions of the vaccination campaign, leading to the low count of only 73 beneficiaries being jabbed so far. Health officials said that for Kolkata, involvement of KMC is crucial to expand the vaccination campaign, as KMC is the nodal body to spearhead the drive in the city. Sources hinted at the uncertainty in the civic body for the lacklustre response in the jab drive.

“KMC officials have been asked to attend the meeting of the Special Task Force (vaccination) on Friday to work out ways to improve the vaccination drive,” said a senior health official.

Unlike routine immunisation, for the HPV jab, consent is required from parents of the teenage beneficiaries. Sources also said as most private schools are still closed for the summer break, officials are unable to rope in schools.

“Once the schools re-open and the district-level training ends, the campaign will gain a lot of impetus. We can expect a significant acceleration by the second week of June, when the vaccination takes place from 800-plus centres across the state,” said a health official.