Question: India’s first Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme has been launched by which state?
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Delhi
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Kerala
Ans (b)
Realated facts:
- On 29 February 2016 Delhi became the first state in the country to launch the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a public health programme for school children.
- It was announced by state health minister Satyendar Jain in a Public health program organized for school children.
- As part of the programme, girls studying in Class VI in government schools will be targeted in the first year. This will be completed in the current academic year over two phases.
- In the next year government target is to include all girls between the age of 9 and 13 .
- The programme will target 1-1.5 lakh girls in the first phase.
- Children will be given two doses of the vaccine. The first and the second doses will be administered within 30 days of each other.
- A third booster dose will be given within 240 days of the first vaccine, which will be covered in the next phase.
- The HPV vaccine protects people against the group of 150-odd HPVs, some of which can cause cervical cancer.
- According to HPV India Report 2015, nearly 122 844 cases of cervical cancer were identified in women and about 67 477 person die from the disease each year.
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus from the Papillomavirus family that is capable of infecting humans.
Reference:
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-first-state-to-launch-hpv-vaccine-as-public-health-programme-in-schools/
http://www.medicaldialogues.in/delhi-to-be-first-to-implement-hpv-vaccination-program-in-india/
http://khabar.ndtv.com/news/delhi/the-delhi-government-will-provide-cervix-cancer-vaccine-for-the-first-time-in-the-country-1282576