Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana is intensifying its campaign against cervical cancer. Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi chaired a State Steering Committee review to accelerate the rollout of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine across the state.
As of April 22, more than 13,500 girls have received the vaccine, including 561 on the opening day of the drive. The state has secured 2.28 lakh doses to cover an estimated 2.26 lakh girls aged 14–15 years, according to Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra.
Chief Secretary Sh. Rastogi underscored that cervical cancer remains one of the leading cancers among Indian women, with HPV infection responsible for the vast majority of cases. He noted that Haryana’s single-dose vaccination strategy is expected to significantly reduce the future disease burden. He also called for sustained awareness campaigns across social media, radio, print, and community platforms to counter misinformation and strengthen public confidence in the programme.
Outreach and Community Engagement
Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra, emphasised the importance of consistent communication, particularly in rural and underserved areas. She directed Deputy Commissioners to actively involve senior doctors, community leaders, and educators in spreading awareness. District authorities have been directed to coordinate with school principals to motivate parents and ensure that eligible students can readily access nearby health facilities for HPV vaccination.
Technology-Enabled Monitoring
The vaccination drive is being implemented through a structured, digitally enabled system. Beneficiaries are registered on the U-WIN platform, which also issues vaccination certificates automatically. Training programmes for medical officers, vaccinators, and frontline health workers have been completed at district and block levels.
To ensure safety, the State Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee has been activated to monitor and respond promptly to any post-vaccination events.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common infection of the reproductive tract and is responsible for around 99.7 percent of cervical cancer (cancer of the lower part of the uterus) in women.
The HPV vaccine prevents HPV infection, thereby significantly reducing the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, and vaccination is an effective preventive measure.
The HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and approved by the Government of India after due scientific evaluation.160 countries worldwide are successfully administering the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls as part of their national immunization programmes.
The vaccine has minimal and mild side effects, such as pain at the injection site, mild fever, or body ache, which can be easily managed with Paracetamol as advised by a doctor.Vaccineis administered by trained health personnel under medical supervision.
Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of SC BC and Anthyodaya(SEWA), Dr G. Anpama, ACS, Development and Panchyat, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Labour and Youth Empowernment, Sh. Rajeev Rajan, MD, NHM, Sh. Rippu Daman Singh Dhillion, Additional Director, Information, Public Relations and Languages, Smt. Varsha Khangwal, Deputy Commissioners, Chief Medical Officers, District Education Officers, and senior officers from the departments of Health, Education, Women and Child Development, Labour, Urban Local Bodies, State chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Academy of Pediatrician (IAP) and Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India(FOGSI) and other officers were present during the meeting.
