Kozhikode: As many as 6,797 girls aged 14 in Kozhikode district have so far received the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to prevent cervical cancer. District Medical Officer K.K. Rajaram said in a press release on Wednesday that all eligible girls should get vaccinated as soon as possible since the campaign would be on till May 31.

Cervical cancer affects the lower part of the uterus or cervix. Almost 99.7% of such cancers are caused by HPV. Primarily, children across the country are being vaccinated against 12 diseases. As a precursor to including the vaccine against cervical cancer in the national immunisation schedule, it is being administered to children aged 14 in the first phase. The vaccine, which costs around ₹4,000 in the market, has been administered for years in the country’s private sector. Mohandas Nair, head of Paediatrics department at Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, said all parents should ensure that their children received it to protect them from cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer ranks second among cancers affecting women in India. Among more than 200 HPV viruses, 17 variants are considered more dangerous. Almost 83% of cervical cancer cases in the country are caused by HPV 16 and 18 variants. Statistics indicate that 11.6 out of every one lakh women are affected by the disease annually, and 5.1 among them die.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and the World Health Organisation have recommended providing the HPV vaccination to girls to prevent cervical cancer. Since 2006, the HPV vaccine has been administered very safely in various countries, including India. The HPV vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing cervical cancer. The vaccine helps create antibodies in the body of the person receiving it and ensures protection against the infection. Timely vaccination and cervical screening can reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

Jyothi Chandran, Head of the Department of Gynecology at medical college hospital, said the vaccine is given for free through government health centres.