Nawanshahr:- An important meeting of the District Task Force was held at the District Administrative Complex, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar under the chairmanship of Honorable Deputy Commissioner Sardar Gulpreet Singh Aulakh to effectively implement the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign for the prevention of cervical cancer among girls. During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner issued guidelines to the officials of the Health Department, Education Department and Women and Child Protection Department and other related departments to effectively run the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign in coordination with each other.
Deputy Commissioner S. Gulpreet Singh Aulakh told the members of the District Task Force that the main objective of this vaccination campaign is to protect girls from cervical cancer, which is also known as ‘cancer of the mouth of the uterus’. This vaccine will be given to 14-year-old girls who have passed their 14th birthday and are about to turn 15. Sardar Gulpreet Singh Aulakh directed all the departments to cooperate with the Health Department for the successful completion of this campaign so that 100 percent of girls in this age group are vaccinated.
On this occasion, Civil Surgeon Dr. Gurinderjit Singh told the Honorable Deputy Commissioner that the main goal of the Health Department, Punjab is to make the state a cervical cancer free state in the future. Dr. Gurinderjit Singh said that the main cause of this serious cancer found in the lower part of the uterus in women is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). He clarified that timely vaccination proves to be effective in preventing this disease.
He also said that this vaccination is available at a very expensive price in private hospitals, while it will be completely free in government hospitals. On this occasion, District Vaccination Officer Dr. Harpinder Singh gave an impressive presentation and informed that this vaccine will be given to 14-year-old girls who have passed their 14th birthday but have not yet reached their 15th. Dr. Harpinder Singh, while addressing the gathering, said that cervical cancer is caused by HPV virus and can be prevented to a large extent by getting vaccinated on time. HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way to prevent cervical cancer. He said that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, while it is the second most common cancer in India.