Pune: The PMC on Monday launched a dedicated vaccination drive against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to protect young girls from cervical cancer. On the first day of the initiative, 25 girls aged 14 to 15 received the vaccine across five municipal hospitals.The drive, part of the universal immunisation programme (UIP), is currently active across 21 PMC maternity hospitals. While registration on the U-Win portal is mandatory, officials confirmed that parents can also opt for on-the-spot registration at these facilities.“On Monday, we conducted vaccinations at Draupadabai Khedekar Hospital (Bopodi), Laigude Hospital, Dalvi Hospital (Shivajinagar), and Kamala Nehru Hospital,” said Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). “The act of registration is considered default parental consent, which is a requirement for the vaccine. Currently, the vaccine is only available at municipal hospitals and is not being administered in schools, though we are conducting extensive awareness programmes in educational institutions.“The approved vaccine for this drive is ‘Gardasil,’ which protects against four high-risk HPV variants (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18). Under the current guidelines, a single 0.5 ml intramuscular dose is administered.While the ‘Gardasil’ dose was found to be safe and most effective for girls and boys aged between 9 and 15, given the logistics and the target at hand the govt has started the universal immunisation programme for girls who have completed 14 years of age but not 15 years of age, the health dept officials said.The launch comes amid a stern warning from the state govt regarding vaccine hesitancy. On Thursday, the health department issued a notice to an individual for spreading misinformation on social media.State health minister Dr Prakashrao Abitkar stated, “We will take strict action against those spreading falsehoods. This is not a new vaccine; it has been available globally for 15 years and has undergone rigorous international trials. It is safe, effective, and essential for women’s health.”Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Because HPV infections are often asymptomatic in the early stages, many women only seek help when symptoms like abdominal pain or foul-smelling discharge appear in advanced stages.“By vaccinating girls early, we help them produce life-long antibodies against the virus,” said Dr Nina Borade, PMC health chief. “Our goal is to vaccinate 35,000 girls within municipal limits. We have already received 19,000 doses and more are expected as the drive progresses.”Health authorities clarified that the vaccine is safe to take during menstruation and has no adverse effects on future fertility or pregnancies. However, vaccination should be deferred if the beneficiary has a high fever or a yeast infection. The vaccination centres remain open from 9am to 2pm.
