Kolkata: A fortnight after West Bengal Minister Suvendu Adhikari launched the free cervical cancer vaccination programme for girls aged 14 to 15 years, targeting around 7.6 lakh beneficiaries by August, only 12% of the girls have been covered so far. East Burdwan district emerged as the top performer, while Kolkata and Kalimpong lagged behind, primarily because most schools in these two cities are yet to reopen after the summer vacation.
Top Performing Districts
East Burdwan vaccinated 11,246 girls. Ausgram block in the district was the best-performing block, with 37.2% (624 out of 1,649 targeted beneficiaries) already covered. In contrast, the entire Kolkata district vaccinated only 350 girls, and Kalimpong vaccinated 245.
Kalita Maji, Ausgram MLA and Minister of State for Housing, said that the Jamtara Block Primary Health Centre (BPHC) in Ausgram II is doing an excellent job, and the Block Medical Officer of Health (BMOH) Sajib Biswas is proactive in the HPV programme.
Vaccination Process
The single dose of the Gardasil-4 vaccine is typically administered on the left arm for right-handed girls. Most block primary health centres across the state provide the vaccine free of charge twice a week. After vaccination, girls receive HPV vaccination certificates.
Officials emphasized the need to motivate girls and their families. Field staff, including ASHA workers, are being mobilized to increase turnout. In Kolkata, since most schools are closed for summer vacation, the focus will shift to parent-teacher meetings once schools reopen to build trust and encourage more girls to get vaccinated.
Parental Consent and Data Privacy
Parents need to understand the importance of vaccination. Their consent is required, along with certification of their daughter's age. Additionally, under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, parents must consent to sharing their data along with their daughter's information.
Kalita Maji noted that there is often a taboo associated with the vaccine, so more awareness campaigns are needed to overcome this.
