HPV Vaccination Drive Reaches 91,289 in Telangana
Campaign Extended Till August, Gujarat, MP leads in states
Hyderabad: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive in Telangana has reached 91,289 beneficiaries, covering girls aged around 14 years under the ongoing state-wide immunisation campaign. Nearly 2.85 lakh girls remain unvaccinated, according to data available up to June 17. In contrast, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have surpassed their target cohorts, recording coverage of more than 100 per cent.
The campaign, originally scheduled to conclude on June 8, has now been extended by the Union government until August. Officials cited summer vacations, extreme heat conditions, examinations and the engagement of state machinery in other programmes as reasons for extending the deadline by another three months.
Telangana had achieved 28.4 per cent coverage, vaccinating 80,951 girls against a target of 2.85 lakh, placing the state at approximately 15th position among 36 states and Union Territories. Officials noted that the latest figure of 91,289 vaccinations is yet to be reflected in the national report.
According to studies, the HPV vaccine could reduce the risk of cervical cancer death before age 30 to effectively zero. Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern globally and in India. It is the second most common cancer among women in India, with over 1,20,000 new cases and nearly 80,000 deaths reported annually as per the WHO Globoscan report 2022.
Health officials said efforts are now being intensified to improve coverage, particularly among government school students. “Government teachers are being asked to mobilise eligible girls and bring them to primary health centres, area hospitals, urban primary health centres, community health centres, medical colleges and government hospitals for vaccination,” a source said.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s HPV vaccination campaign report dated June 5, Gujarat leads the country with 108.05 per cent coverage, followed by Madhya Pradesh (101.63), Mizoram (89.84), Bihar (84.5) and Andhra Pradesh (70.28 per cent).
