Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The government has begun immunization of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer from today.

According to the Child Health and Immunization Section under the Department of Health Services, adolescent girls studying in grade six and those out of school across the country will be vaccinated from today to February 29.

As part of the campaign, girls studying in grades 7 to 10 and out of school from 11 to 14 years, who were left out of last year’s HPV vaccination campaign, will also be vaccinated under the same campaign.

The main reason for the increase in the risk of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus, so HPV vaccination should be done against it. Girls studying in grade 6 will be vaccinated in schools and other girls will be vaccinated against HPV at vaccination centers.

Chief of the Immunization Section Dr Abhiyan Gautam urged all to get vaccinated as it was cent per cent effective. On an average, six women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day in Nepal, of which four people die. But this cancer disease can be prevented with the HPV vaccine.

The government had vaccinated around 1.7 million adolescent girls in the age group of 10 to 14 years, from February 6 to March 20, across the country. According to the branch, some 350,000 children will be vaccinated against cervical cancer during the 20-day campaign.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Nepal, while it ranks first among women dying due to cancer.