Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday launched a statewide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer, targeting around 7.65 lakh beneficiaries aged 14 years.

The initiative follows the national launch of the HPV vaccination programme earlier this year, and aims to contribute to the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health threat, officials said.

Under the campaign, girls who have completed 14 years of age but are yet to turn 15 will receive a single dose of the quadrivalent Gardasil-4 vaccine free of cost at designated government health facilities, they said.

Vaccination sessions would be conducted at 881 designated government health facilities, including medical colleges, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, state general hospitals and block primary health centres, the officials said.