In a major public health initiative, the Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced today (JulyāÆ28,āÆ2025) that the state will roll out HPV vaccination for all Plus One and Plus Two girl students, marking a key step toward a cervical cancerāfree Kerala. A technical committee is set to meet within a week to finalize the rollout plan and vaccine-related guidelines.
šÆ Who Is Eligible?
- Target group: Plus One (11th grade) and Plus Two (12th grade) girls, typically aged between 15 and 18 years
- Minister Veena George emphasized that while the most effective protection window is between 9 and 14 years, vaccination remains recommended up to 26 years of age.
š Program Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Target Age Group | Girls aged approximately 15ā18 years |
| Vaccine | HPV vaccine ā protects against cervical cancer |
| Implementation | Via schools, with awareness programs for students & parents |
| Support Measures | Awareness campaigns, parent-teacher sessions, stakeholder engagement |
| Goal | Long-term reduction of cervical cancer incidence statewide |
š About HPV Immunization
- The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine is proven to prevent infections from key high-risk strainsāespecially HPVā16 and HPVā18, which cause over 70% of global cervical cancer cases.
- WHO recommendations support a 1ā or 2ādose schedule for girls aged 9ā14, with flexibility up to age 20 and beyond.
- In India, the newly introduced Cervavac vaccine, developed by the Serum Institute of India, offers equivalent efficacy at lower cost, improving accessibility .
š National Context & Need
- Despite high cervical cancer burdenāIndia sees over 1.2 lakh new cases and 77,000+ deaths annuallyāuptake of HPV vaccination historically remains very low (<1%) due to misinformation, affordability issues, and stigma.
- Experts at the recent āConquer HPV & Cancer Conclave 2025ā emphasized that early vaccination before sexual exposure offers maximum protection, and that vaccination should ideally be completed with both doses, despite emerging evidence supporting a single-dose approach under some circumstances.
ā Why Keralaās Move Matters
- Keralaās plan marks a significant step in sub-national public health leadership, offering a school-based model for HPV immunization that could serve as a template for other states.
- By coupling vaccination with awareness campaigns, Kerala aims not just for high coverage but also informed consent and community support.
- Effective rollout could contribute to Keralaās broader vision of transitioning toward a āCervical CancerāFreeā society.
š Whatās Next?
- Final Technical Committee Meeting: Expected within the next week to set detailed vaccination parametersāvaccine type, dosage schedule, consent forms, and rollout logistics.
- Awareness Campaigns Launch: Targeting students, parents, teachers, and community leaders via school events and community outreach.
- Vaccination Rollout: Planned to commence school-based vaccination drives post-finalization of guidelines.
- Monitoring & Evaluation: Systems to track coverage rates, safety, and long-term impact will likely follow as implementation gains pace.
š§ In Summary
Keralaās HPV vaccination initiative for Plus One and Plus Two students is a timely, evidence-backed effort to reduce cervical cancer incidence significantly. With careful planning and community engagement, this approach could become a model for nationwide scale-upābringing India closer to WHO goals of vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15.
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