NALGONDA: A vaccine that can prevent cancer. A doctor determined to make it reach every eligible person. Dr K Vasantha Kumari, the newly elected president of NALOGS and IMA Telangana’s HPV coordinator, has trained 5,000 doctors and vaccinated hundreds — all with one goal: a cervical cancer-free India.
Since January 2026, more than 250 girls, women and young men have been vaccinated through community camps, while over 300 doses have been administered at her clinic. She says the effort is part of a broader mission to achieve a “Cervical Cancer-Free India” by working with NALOGS, NGOs and healthcare professionals.
Dr Vasantha says the vaccine has an excellent safety record, with only mild, temporary side effects such as pain, redness or swelling at the injection site.
She also stressed that vaccination does not replace cervical cancer screening, as the vaccine does not protect against all cancer-causing HPV strains. Women should continue to undergo a Pap smear every three years or an HPV (human papillomavirus) DNA test every five years, based on medical advice.
“Vaccination combined with regular screening offers the strongest protection against cervical cancer by detecting precancerous changes early,” she adds.