Shillong: Nine 14-year-old girls officially launched the Meghalaya Govt’s National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign at Ganesh Das Hospital, Lawmali, Shillong, on Saturday in alignment with the national launch by PM Modi in Rajasthan.The teenage girls were the first beneficiaries of the HPV vaccine in the state.A detailed presentation on HPV vaccine and cervical cancer was made by Dr Shailinia Syiem, gynaecologist and president, State Obstetric and Gynaecological Society, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, highlighting the importance of giving the vaccine to ‘correct age groups’, ie 14-year-old girls and how HPV vaccine is the ‘only cancer preventing’ vaccine.She emphasised that this vaccine, given early, has a success rate of more than 90%. “Women who are in their 20s and 30s up to 45 years can also take this vaccine and they can get protection of up to 88% combined with regular screenings,” she added.Meghalaya registered cases of cervical cancer rising from 27 in 2020-21 to 332 by 2025-26.
