Bihar to align HPV vaccination drive with national campaign: Minister

Patna: Bihar was the first state in the country to introduce the HPV vaccination programme one-and-a-half years ago and more than 6.7 lakh girls have received the first dose so far to protect them from cervical cancer, health minister Mangal Pandey said while hailing the nationwide campaign launched by PM Narendra Modi from Ajmer in Rajasthan on Saturday.The campaign aims to vaccinate approximately 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years in all states and union territories every year.Pandey, who along with senior officials of the department joined the PM’s address through videoconferencing at the IGIMS campus in Patna, said more than 6,79,000 adolescent girls in the state have received the first dose and over 85,000 have received their second dose since Bihar launched the two-dose HPV vaccination programme for girls aged 9-14 years about one-and-a-half years ago.The state govt will now integrate its programme with the national programme, the minister said. He added that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer.Pandey said Bihar has achieved the target of vaccinating 13 lakh adolescent girls aged 14-15 years this year. “This facility will be made available at community health centres in all districts and block headquarters across the state,” he said.The minister said the state’s campaign carries the pledge of ‘Swasth beti, surakshit Bihar - sashakt hoga hamaara sansaar (healthy daughter, safe Bihar - our world will be empowered)’. He called upon the state health committee, district health officers and all health workers to make coordinated efforts to achieve the goal.Health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh emphasised the dynamism of vaccination. Amit Kumar Pandey, executive director, State Health Society, Dr Manish Mandal, medical superintendent, IGIMS, along with other officials, doctors and staff were present on the occasion.