HPV misinformation hits vaccine uptake in Gurugram: Health dept

Only 704 girls vaccinated since Feb 27; target is 30,000 by May 31. Workshops, ASHA outreach underway to counter misinformation, officials said.

The district Health Department has raised concerns over misleading social media videos linking Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to infertility, saying such content is reducing vaccine uptake and creating anxiety among teenage girls and their parents, officials said on Tuesday. The issue will be taken up at a task force meeting chaired by the deputy commissioner of Gurugram on Thursday, with participation from the Education, Women and Child Development departments and urban local bodies.

Videos falsely linking HPV vaccine to infertility, autoimmune issues flagged; task force meet to plan coordinated response across departments. (HT)

Officials said individuals identifying themselves as doctors in such videos have falsely linked the Gardasil-4 HPV vaccine to infertility, autoimmune diseases and menstrual disruption, claims refuted by the department. Since the nationwide immunisation campaign began on February 27, only 704 girls aged 14 have received the vaccine, which targets four HPV variants responsible for nearly 90% of cervical cancer cases.

The department has begun workshops with school principals and awareness drives through ASHA workers. “Around 50 principals participated in a workshop conducted on Tuesday. Similar door-to-door awareness plans are being executed through ASHA workers. Parents need to realise that HPV shots are necessary to rule out cervical cancer at an early age,” said Dr JP Rajliwal, district immunisation officer (DIO).

The department aims to vaccinate 30,000 girls by May 31 in the first phase. “Unscientific content on social media can lead to fear and misconceptions about HPV vaccines among young parents… A coordinated awareness campaign for the World Health Organisation (WHO)-approved vaccines will be intensified,” said Dr Lokveer Singh, chief medical officer of Gurugram.

“In the first five weeks of the campaign, 320 doses were administered… The meeting will deliberate on a coordinated push by departments for a unified vaccine advocacy,” he added.