HPV vaccination campaign begins Thursday to prevent cervical cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for juvenile girls is set to begin Thursday in seven divisions, except Dhaka, for the prevention of cervical cancer.

The campaign will continue for four weeks under the initiative of the government with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said Dr Mohammad Shahriar Sajjad, Deputy Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), at a workshop organized marking the HPV Immunization Campaign Programme at the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) in the capital on Monday.

Shahriar Sajad said, in light of the experience of the Dhaka division, the campaign in the seven divisions will begin October 24 and continue for 18 days. "Our aim is to provide this vaccination to 62,12,532 girls in seven divisions."

Information and Broadcasting Secretary (Routine Duty) Md Nazrul Islam inaugurated the workshop while UNICEF Representative Bridget Job Johnson was present. NIMC Director General (Current Charge) Sufi Zakir Hossain chaired the workshop.

DPM of the EPI programme Rajib Sarkar elaborated on details of the campaign in the workshop, while NIMC Director Md Nazrul Islam highlighted various aspects of the role of mass media in this campaign. 

Dr Rajib Sarkar said that it takes 15-20 years from being infected with cervical cancer to manifest and that is why it is called the silent killer. 

When patients are diagnosed almost in the final stage appear become difficult to recover from, he said, adding HPV vaccination can prevent this cancer.

Earlier in 2023, about 15 lakh juvenile girls were inoculated with one dose of the HPV vaccine in the Dhaka division and they were not witnessed any adverse reactions.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the immunization campaign will be run for a total of 18 days. 

During the first 10 days, the programme will be conducted in educational institutions and EPI permanent centres. Girls in grades 5-9 will get vaccines in educational institutions and if anyone is unable to receive them, they should get vaccinated at the centre. 

Besides, girls aged 10 to 14 years, who don't have educational institutions, can also receive the vaccine at the centres.

In the next 8 days, girls aged 10 to 14 years, who don't have educational institutions, can receive the vaccine through permanent (District hospitals, Upazila Health Complex) and temporary (various unions, ward's vaccination centres). However, the 5-9 graders, who missed school, can also get vaccinations there.

According to medics, the main cause of cancer in women is cervical cancer, and it is the 4th most common cancer among women in the world and the 2nd most common cancer among women.