Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], September 18 : Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya on Friday underlined that every girl in every household is not merely the future of her family but also the future of society as a whole, emphasising that it is a collective, social and moral responsibility to ensure their health is protected.
According to a press release issued by the Chief Minister’s office, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented the country with a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign aimed at protecting girls from serious diseases such as cervical cancer, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has been taking the campaign forward in the state with utmost commitment.
Giving details of the campaign, Pansheriya said that more than 6.25 lakh girls across Gujarat had been provided the protective shield of HPV vaccination as of September 16.
He said Gujarat has secured the first position in the country in terms of the initial implementation of the HPV vaccination programme, vaccinating eligible adolescent girls within just three months of the campaign.
“Most importantly, and a matter of pride, despite vaccination being carried out on such a large scale, not a single case of adverse reaction has been reported,” the Health Minister said, adding that this demonstrates that the vaccine is safe and effective.
Considering the commendable performance of Gujarat under the vaccination programme, the Union Government allocated more than 2.72 lakh additional doses of HPV vaccine to Gujarat on September 7, he said.
The release noted that the Gujarat government relaunched the HPV vaccination drive on the auspicious occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. As a result, 71,894 girls across the state were successfully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine in a single day on September 17, marking a historic milestone in the state’s vaccination campaign.
The Health Minister further said that the state government has set a firm target of vaccinating 1.46 lakh adolescent girls who completed the age of 14 years on September 17 by October 1 under the HPV vaccination drive launched on September 17.
Pansheriya appealed to parents to play an active role in ensuring the success of the campaign.
“The government and the health system are carrying out their responsibilities with complete dedication, but the real success of this campaign lies in the hands of parents. If your 14-year-old daughter has not yet received the HPV vaccine, do not delay. Contact the nearest health centre today and take advantage of the ongoing mega vaccination drive,” he said.
The HPV vaccine is being provided free of cost to all eligible 14-year-old adolescent girls at all Medical College Hospitals (MCH), District and Sub-District Hospitals (DH/SDH), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across Gujarat, the release said.
The Health Minister urged parents across the state to participate in the “sacred health initiative” launched on Prime Minister Modi’s birthday and help provide their daughters with the gift of a healthier and cancer-preventive future.