BHUBANESWAR: As many as 2.5 lakh girls, aged 14 years, in Odisha will be covered in the first phase of the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive which will be rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday from Ajmer in Rajasthan.
The immunisation programme aims to prevent cervical cancer by protecting adolescent girls against HPV infection.
As estimated by the Women and Child Development department, the state has 2.5 lakh girls, aged 14 years. The Health department has set a target to vaccinate at least 90 per cent of them during the three-month campaign.
Ahead of the launch, the Health department convened a preparatory meeting to review logistics and district-level readiness. Officials said 1.89 lakh doses of the vaccine have already reached the state and have been dispatched to various districts, while the remaining doses are expected to arrive soon.
Though the initial phase will focus on 14-year-old girls, the programme will continue as an ongoing exercise and will subsequently cover girls in the 9-14 years age group. The vaccine being administered is effective against four strains of HPV that are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases. While the vaccine costs around `6,000, it will be provided free of cost under the universal immunisation programme.