Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 26: Dakshina Kannada (DK) MP Brijesh Chowta has urged all adolescent girls in the district to take full advantage of the Centre’s ambitious free HPV vaccination drive aimed at safeguarding the health of girls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sharing information on the initiative, the MP appealed to all girls aged between 14 and 15 years in the district to voluntarily receive the vaccine and contribute towards building a ‘Healthy India – Healthy Dakshina Kannada’. He especially requested mothers to ensure their daughters are vaccinated by visiting nearby government health centres immediately after the completion of school examinations.

A target has been set to vaccinate 22,473 adolescent girls in Dakshina Kannada district. Already, 2.54 lac doses of the HPV vaccine have been supplied free of cost to the state. While the vaccine can cost up to Rs 8,000 in private hospitals, it is being provided free of charge under the National Health Mission of the central government. The HPV vaccine is available at all primary health centres, community health centres, and government hospitals in the district. The vaccination drive will continue for the next three months, until the end of May. He stated that this campaign will serve as a significant milestone in the country’s healthcare sector by ensuring a safer future for adolescent girls.

He also said that the health department, including ASHA workers, should take up this initiative like a movement to eliminate misconceptions about the vaccine in both rural and urban areas and create awareness among parents. As a representative of the district, he assured his full support to the campaign.

Beneficiaries can pre-register on the U-WIN platform to schedule an appointment for vaccination or directly visit designated government health centres to receive the vaccine. He added that parental consent is mandatory for vaccination.