HPV vaccine administered to 45 girls in Visakhapatnam
The Hindu
Chaitanya Sravanthi NGO organizes booster HPV vaccination camp for women, aiming to prevent cervical cancer and create awareness.
Chaitanya Sravanthi, an NGO, organised a booster vaccination camp for women to prevent Human papillomavirus (HPV) on Sunday, September 8, at the Sachivalayam in 37th Ward, opposite Mrs. AVN College. A total of 45 girl children belonging to Self Help Group women were administered the booster dose. Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas inaugurated the camp and appreciated Chaitanya Sravanthi’s efforts to prevent cervical cancer and create awareness among women about the vaccine. Mr. Srinivas also felicitated Chaitanya Sravanthi president Shirin Rahaman.
Dr. Rahaman said that administration of the vaccine to girls aged between 9 and 14 years would minimise the risk of getting cervical at a later stage in life. She said that the organisation would conduct a similar free HPV vaccination camp for children of economically poor journalists.
She said that the first dose of the HPV vaccine was given to the present batch on February 16 this year, and now the booster dose was administered to them. The vaccine has to be given in two doses to girls between 9 and 14 years old, and those above that age have to be given three doses.
Dr. Rahaman said that while voluntary organisations were conducting such vaccination camps, the government should also come up with an action plan for administering the HPV vaccine. She sought the cooperation of the MLA in this regard. She said that Chaitanya Sravanthi has already conducted a number of awareness camps on cervical cancer in Visakhapatnam South Constituency in the past.
Panduranga Kumari, HOD of Radiation Oncology, KGH, said that the risk of cervical cancer was eliminated in 70% of the girls who took the HPV vaccine.
B. Ram Ratan, area business manager of Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd, Chaitanya Sravanthi representatives Rukaia Bhanu, Vijaya Kumari, Anasuya, Roja, Ch. Lakshmi, Devi and Lakshmi participated.