From Tuesday, the B J Medical College (BJMC) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) will begin Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination for female doctors and hospital staff. The BJMC will be the first government medical college in Maharashtra to conduct such an immunisation drive, officials said.
The HPV vaccination drive will be conducted inside the SGH campus. The HPV vaccine will be given to as many as 1,000 students — MBBS, nursing and postgraduate, all aged up to 26 years. This vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine which targets four HPV subtypes — 6, 11, 16, and 18. It will be administered in three doses (0.5 ml at 0, 2 and 6 months). All three doses will be given within one year, officials said.
Dr Yallapa Jadhav, medical superintendent, BJMC and SGH, said, “The HPV vaccine is a vaccine used for the prevention of HPV-associated cancers such as cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and anal cancers, as well as genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. The vaccine works by helping your immune system develop protection against HPV before you are exposed to the virus. However, the immunisation is voluntary and will be provided for free.”
Dr Eknath Pawar, dean, BJMC and SGH, said that considering the problem of HPV infection in the country, the vaccination drive has been taken up for all female students up to 26 years of age. This vaccine is already available in the market in the country. “We are the first government medical college in Maharashtra to start such an immunisation programme. The response to the programme is good with a large number of students already booking their slots in advance,” Dr Pawar said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Eknath Pawar, dean, BJMC and SGH, said that considering the problem of HPV infection in the country, the vaccination drive has been taken up for all female students up to 26 years of age. This vaccine is already available in the market in the country. “We are the first government medical college in Maharashtra to start such an immunisation programme. The response to the programme is good with a large number of students already booking their slots in advance,” Dr Pawar said.
{{/usCountry}}He informed that during the immunisation sessions, approximately 30 to 40 students will receive the vaccine daily. “The HPV vaccination will soon be included in the national immunisation programme but we have voluntarily initiated this programme. The manufacturer has provided the vaccines to us at discounted rates. The expenses incurred are covered by the BJMC and SGH,” Dr Pawar said.
The HPV is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract; causing a range of conditions in men and women, such as genital warts, anal cancer, vaginal cancer, penile cancer, vulval cancer, oro-pharyngeal cancer and cervical cancer including precancerous lesions that may progress into cancer, according to doctors.