Bhagalpur: District administration has directed the health department to ensure that interested girl students between the age group of 9 and 14 years are administered free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination at the sadar hospital and JLNMCH on working days from 9.00am to 4.00pm. This initiative will safeguard the girls from cervical cancer. During a review meeting held on Tuesday, DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary issued the directives. The special HPV vaccination drive, an important programme under ‘Mukhyamantri Balika Cancer Pratirakshan Yojana’ (MBCPY), was launched in the district recently.The DM said the vaccine is safe and it is a preventive measure for the girls from developing cervical cancer later in their lives. He urged the family members of the girls to accomplish the objective of the vaccination drive.Aadhaar card and school identity card, for the verification of the age of the schoolgirls, are mandatory for vaccination, said the DM. He also asked the health officials to submit the data of vaccinations done so far.Nearly 400 schoolgirls have already been given the HPV vaccines at the OPD of sadar hospital and JLNMCH so far, said district immunisation officer (DIO), Dr Dhananjay Kumar. He said cervical cancer accounts for 17% deaths because of malignancy among adult women. “Our teams are creating awareness among the schoolgirls while visiting the schools and interacting with them, teachers and guardians,” said the DIO. District education officer (DEO), Rajkumar Sharma, said directives to the principals and in charges of the high schools and middle schools have been given to make available the data of the schoolgirls in the age group of 09-14 at their respective schools so that the free HPV vaccines are administered to them.Bhagalpur: District administration has directed the health department to ensure that interested girl students between the age group of 9 and 14 years are administered free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination at the sadar hospital and JLNMCH on working days from 9.00am to 4.00pm. This initiative will safeguard the girls from cervical cancer. During a review meeting held on Tuesday, DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary issued the directives. The special HPV vaccination drive, an important programme under ‘Mukhyamantri Balika Cancer Pratirakshan Yojana’ (MBCPY), was launched in the district recently.The DM said the vaccine is safe and it is a preventive measure for the girls from developing cervical cancer later in their lives. He urged the family members of the girls to accomplish the objective of the vaccination drive.Aadhaar card and school identity card, for the verification of the age of the schoolgirls, are mandatory for vaccination, said the DM. He also asked the health officials to submit the data of vaccinations done so far.Nearly 400 schoolgirls have already been given the HPV vaccines at the OPD of sadar hospital and JLNMCH so far, said district immunisation officer (DIO), Dr Dhananjay Kumar. He said cervical cancer accounts for 17% deaths because of malignancy among adult women. “Our teams are creating awareness among the schoolgirls while visiting the schools and interacting with them, teachers and guardians,” said the DIO. District education officer (DEO), Rajkumar Sharma, said directives to the principals and in charges of the high schools and middle schools have been given to make available the data of the schoolgirls in the age group of 09-14 at their respective schools so that the free HPV vaccines are administered to them.