Kolkata, 30 May (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari on Saturday launched a statewide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign aimed at protecting adolescent girls from cervical cancer. The state government has set a target of covering approximately 765,000 eligible beneficiaries under the initiative.

According to officials, the programme is aligned with the National HPV Vaccination Programme launched by the Central Government earlier this year. The campaign is intended to contribute to the broader goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a major public health concern.

Under the programme, girls who have completed 14 years of age but have not yet turned 15 will be eligible to receive the vaccine free of cost. Beneficiaries will be administered a single dose of the quadrivalent Gardasil-4 vaccine at designated government healthcare facilities.

To ensure smooth implementation, the state government has designated 881 government health institutions as vaccination centres. These include medical colleges, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, state general hospitals, and block primary health centres across West Bengal.

Health Department officials said the initiative would play a significant role in reducing the risk of cervical cancer among adolescent girls and strengthen efforts to improve women's health and preventive healthcare services in the state.

The vaccination campaign is expected to enhance awareness about cervical cancer prevention while expanding access to life-saving immunisation among eligible girls throughout West Bengal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey