Bengal govt to organise cervical cancer vaccination camps in girls' schools
Kolkata, July 12
West Bengal Health Department is now planning to reach the doorsteps of all girls' schools in the state and organise cervical cancer vaccination camps there.
An insider from the state health department said that before organising these vaccination camps on the campuses of the girls' schools, the state government will take consent from the guardians of the students studying in those girls' schools.
"The consent of a minimum of 50 guardians from a particular girls' school will be necessary for that purpose. The district officials from the state health department will contact the headmistresses of the schools and request them to organise a meeting with the guardians and the health department officials. In those meetings, the guardians will be made aware of the importance of cervical cancer vaccination and the dangers of skipping such vaccination. After a detailed explanation, consent will be sought from the guardians to organise a cervical cancer vaccination camp in that respective institution," said the state health department official.
He also explained the rationale for organising cervical cancer vaccination camps on the premises of the girls' schools.
"From May 30 this year, the pilot project for vaccination camps to prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls officially started in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurating the programme. From the end of May till July 10, a total of 1,92,940 girls have been vaccinated. However, the pace of vaccination has slowed down in the last two weeks. In this situation, the state government has taken a new decision to speed up the HPV vaccination campaign following high-level discussions. Hence, the decision has been taken to organise cervical cancer vaccination camps within the premises of the girls' schools," said a state health department official.
At the same time, he added that in case the camps are not possible on campus premises, the vaccination will be conducted at health centres nearest to those schools.
"Accordingly, all girls' schools have also been advised to do mapping with the nearest health centres. In each such vaccination camp, be it on the school premises or at the nearest health centres, there will be one medical officer, one vaccination staff member, and one data manager. One teacher from the school concerned will be given the responsibility as the coordinator of the camp," the health department official said.
In each camp, there will be facilities for post-vaccination observation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally, a practical health initiative! As a parent of a teenage daughter, I really appreciate the transparent approach—seeking consent, having meetings, and explaining the risks. The mapping with nearby health centres ensures no child is left out. Hope other states take note. Only doubt: are there enough medical officers to handle 1.92 lakh+ vaccinations already done? Quality must not drop.
Great news! 🎉 My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year—if only such camps existed when she was in school. The fact that they're involving teachers as coordinators is brilliant; schools are trusted spaces. But I hope the guardians are properly educated and not just given a form to sign. Health literacy matters!
I'm all for vaccination drives, but why only girls' schools? Boys also need HPV vaccine to prevent other cancers. Also, the consent requirement of 'minimum 50 guardians' might be tough in smaller schools or rural areas. Hope they have a backup plan. That said, the scale (1.92 lakh in 6 weeks) is impressive! 👏
Good initiative, but I have concerns. The pace has slowed down in the last two weeks—maybe because of misinformation about vaccines? We need to counter that alongside the camps. Also, what about girls who are not in school? The most vulnerable might be missed. School-based camps are great, but not a complete solution.
As a doctor, I can say this is a scientifically sound move. HPV vaccine is most effective when given before sexual debut. The state government's approach is systematic—consent, awareness drives
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