Delhi became first state to launch HPV vaccine as public health programme in schools

Delhi on 29 February 2016 became the first state in the country to launch the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a public health programme for school children.

The HPV vaccine protects people against the group of 150-odd HPVs, some of which can cause cervical cancer.

Key highlights of the programme

• 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.

• 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 Delhi Government will purchase the vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and MSD Pharmaceuticals at a subsidised cost of 450 rupees per dose.

About Human Papillomavirus

• Human papillomavirus is a DNA virus from the papillomavirus family that is capable of infecting humans.

• Like all papillomaviruses, HPVs establish productive infections only in keratinocytes of the skin or mucous membranes.

• Most HPV infections are subclinical and will cause no physical symptoms; however, in some people subclinical infections will become clinical and may cause benign papillomas, premalignant lesions that will drive to cancers of the cervix.

• In particular, HPV16 and HPV18 are known to cause around 70% of cervical cancer cases.

• Researchers have identified over 170 types of HPV, more than 40 of which are typically transmitted through sexual contact and infect the anogenital region.

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