New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Centre's rollout of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for adolescent girls under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).  A Division Bench of Chief Justice, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notice on the plea and directed the Union government to place on record, by next week, data relating to adverse events following HPV vaccination.During the hearing, the CJ Upadhyaya-led Bench observed that the issues raised in the petition are of a serious nature, particularly as they concern girl children.The Delhi High Court also asked Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma to assist the court in the matter.

The PIL, filed through advocate Rohit Kumar, seeks protection of the constitutional rights of young girls, including their rights to life, personal liberty, bodily autonomy and informed consent under Articles 21 and 19 of the Constitution.The petition challenges the inclusion of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, in the Universal Immunisation Programme and alleges that the vaccine is being administered to girls aged around 14 years in schools and public health facilities without proper informed consent or prior approval from parents.It further alleged that frontline health workers, including ASHA workers, have been assigned enrolment targets, resulting in undue pressure on young girls to receive the vaccine."The entire programme has been launched without any credible data with respect to the efficacy of the vaccine and the actual requirement of the population," the plea stated.

Referring to an alleged case involving a 14-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu, the petition claimed that she developed severe neurological symptoms, including loss of voice, paralysis-like weakness, inability to walk and blurred vision, within days of receiving the HPV vaccine in March this year.It also referred to similar reported incidents from Gwalior and Bihar to question the safety monitoring mechanism.The plea contended that compulsory vaccination violates the settled constitutional principle of bodily integrity and personal autonomy under Article 21, arguing that no individual can be compelled to undergo vaccination or any other medical treatment without informed consent.It also referred to concerns raised in the past regarding HPV vaccines, including the findings of the 72nd Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare (2013), which had flagged alleged irregularities in clinical trials of Gardasil and Cervarix, including deviations from protocol and lapses in obtaining participants' consent.

The petition further argued that HPV infection is only one among several risk factors associated with cervical cancer and claimed that the long-term effectiveness of HPV vaccines remains uncertain. It submitted that regular screening of women between the ages of 30 and 65 years remains the most effective strategy for preventing cervical cancer.The petition also referred to international litigation involving Gardasil, claiming that Merck & Co. had announced a settlement exceeding $50 million in more than 200 lawsuits alleging serious health complications following vaccination.According to the plea, these developments raise additional concerns regarding the vaccine's long-term safety profile. Seeking judicial intervention, the petition has prayed for appropriate directions regarding the implementation of the HPV vaccination programme, contending that the present rollout raises serious concerns relating to informed consent, safety, scientific basis and public health priorities.

/IANS