HYDERABAD: On National Vaccination Day, teachers of state-run schools requested the government to include girls above 15 years of age in the HPV vaccination drive. Teachers said there are many students above 15 years studying in Classes 8, 9 and 10 who had delayed schooling during Covid-19 and resumed their studies later.
They said that when the vaccination drive targets girls from below poverty line families, there should be flexible age criteria. A total of 8,800 children were vaccinated in Telangana until Monday.
The issue was discussed during an awareness programme organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in Hyderabad under the VARTA initiative to educate girls about the importance of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine in preventing Cervical Cancer.
The session was held at the Musheerabad government school and focused on encouraging girls aged 14 to 15 years to get vaccinated. The programme is part of the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28 for 90 days to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
Some girls aged 12 also asked when vaccines would be available for their age group. Medical officers said the programme currently covers girls aged 14 to 15 and further decisions will be taken by the Central government.
Suryakumari, a bioscience teacher at the school, said many students were aged between 15 and 17. “Our school has Urdu medium sections and many girls are above 15 years in one of the sections. The children have either dropped out during Covid-19 and resumed studies or migrated from other districts and joined late. When the vaccine is provided free, it should benefit them also. The government should consider extending the age limit up to 17 years,” she said.
Teachers said that in private schools parents can afford the vaccine, but many children in government schools come from low-income families and some students live with single parents or grandparents. They added that awareness programmes are held to motivate students, but many parents still have no information about guardianship and consent forms for vaccination.
PIB additional director general Shruthi Patil said the vaccination campaign was launched to ensure that every 14-year-old girl receives the vaccine free of cost to prevent cervical cancer. Central Health Services senior medical officer Dr Chandini said there are misconceptions that the HPV vaccine affects pregnancy or menstrual cycles.
“These claims are not true. The HPV vaccine is safe and can prevent nearly 90 per cent of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women in India. It can also help prevent oral and anal cancers,” she said.