Civic body to distribute vaccine to 26,000 girls

New Delhi: The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Thursday decided to provide human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer to 26,000 girls in municipal primary schools.

A decision to this end was taken during a meeting held between the EDMC and Indian Medical Association (IMA), East Delhi.

EDMC mayor Neema Bhagat, chairperson of education committee Himanshi Pandey, chairperson of medical relief and public health committee Shyam Sundar, chairman of IMA, East Delhi, Dr Neelam Lekhi and Delhi Gynaecologists’ Forum chairperson Dr Sharda Jain attended the meeting.

The meeting was held to discuss the issue of vaccination of adolescent girls against cervical cancer.

“Those affected by cancer has increased fourfold and the number of deaths from cancer is also on the rise.

Women mostly get affected with cervical cancer, but this can be prevented by vaccination. This vaccination will be given for free to girls between the age group of 11 to 14 and studying in municipal primary. For this purpose, women teachers of civic schools would be made aware on this issue. It would benefit about 26000 girls studying in the municipal primary schools,” said Ms Bhagat.

She claimed that the vaccination programme may help in reducing health expenditure of the country.

This would also save hundreds of women and girls from cervical cancer. Dr R.K. Grover, director, Delhi State Cancer Institute, expressed his full cooperation in conduct of the vaccination programme