Gujarat: Over five lakh girls vaccinated under HPV campaign as state nears 92 pc coverage
Gandhinagar, May 7 (IANS) More than five lakh adolescent girls in Gujarat have received the first dose of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine under a state-wide campaign aimed at preventing cervical cancer.
The programme recorded 5,14,566 cumulative vaccinations (including previously immunised) out of 5,62,324 eligible girls as of May 6.
On Wednesday alone, 7,913 adolescent girls were vaccinated across the state. The overall coverage under the campaign stands at 91.5 per cent.
State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said: “The vaccination drive, conducted under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is being implemented across Gujarat without any reported cases of serious adverse effects.”
He stated that the absence of such cases reflects the safety profile of the vaccine and the effectiveness of the ongoing public health programme.
The HPV vaccination campaign, which targets 14-year-old girls, is being carried out at government medical college-affiliated hospitals, district and sub-district hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) across the state.
The vaccine is being administered free of cost.
District-wise data shows wide variation in coverage levels across Gujarat. Rajkot Corporation has reported 10,622 eligible girls, with 116 vaccinated on May 6 and a cumulative coverage of 11,565, reflecting 109 per cent completion.
Bhavnagar Corporation has recorded 4,859 eligible girls, with cumulative vaccination of 5,014, reflecting 103 per cent coverage. Narmada district has reported 5,962 eligible girls, with 6,139 vaccinated cumulatively, also showing 103 per cent coverage.
Junagadh Corporation has recorded 2,293 eligible girls and 2,330 cumulative vaccinations, reflecting 102 per cent coverage.
Jamnagar Corporation has reported 4,753 eligible girls with 4,847 vaccinated cumulatively, also at 102 per cent. Gandhinagar Corporation has recorded 3,162 eligible girls and 3,207 cumulative vaccinations, reflecting 101 per cent coverage.
Gir Somnath district has reported 10,679 eligible girls and 10,821 cumulative vaccinations, while Aravalli district has recorded 10,863 eligible girls and 11,009 cumulative vaccinations, both reflecting 101 per cent coverage.
Mahisagar district has reported 10,652 eligible girls and 10,682 cumulative vaccinations, while Surendranagar has recorded 13,943 eligible girls and 13,990 cumulative vaccinations, both at 100 per cent coverage.
Gandhinagar district has reported 8,925 eligible girls with 8,932 cumulative vaccinations, slightly above the target at 100.1 per cent.
Among higher-performing districts, Junagadh has recorded 8,354 eligible girls and 8,254 cumulative vaccinations, reflecting 99 per cent coverage, while Ahmedabad district has reported 13,466 eligible girls with 13,375 cumulative vaccinations, also at 99 per cent.
Several districts have recorded coverage in the mid-to-high 90 per cent range. Banaskantha has reported 23,586 eligible girls and 21,970 cumulative vaccinations at 93 per cent.
Vadodara Corporation has recorded 13,224 eligible girls with 12,287 vaccinated at 93 per cent, while Surat Corporation has reported 43,387 eligible girls with 40,045 vaccinated at 92 per cent.
Valsad has recorded 17,217 eligible girls and 16,268 cumulative vaccinations at 94 per cent. Panchmahal has reported 19,699 eligible girls and 18,473 vaccinated at 94 per cent.
Dahod has recorded 32,464 eligible girls and 30,950 vaccinated at 95 per cent. Anand has reported 19,200 eligible girls and 18,312 vaccinated at 95 per cent, while Vadodara district has recorded 11,198 eligible girls and 10,676 vaccinated at 95 per cent.
Bharuch has reported 12,969 eligible girls and 12,389 vaccinated at 96 per cent. Mahesana has recorded 16,609 eligible girls and 15,871 vaccinated at 96 per cent.
Tapi has reported 6,878 eligible girls and 6,604 vaccinated at 96 per cent, while Surat district has recorded 13,283 eligible girls and 12,787 vaccinated at 96 per cent.
Chhota Udepur has reported 12,055 eligible girls and 11,651 vaccinated at 97 per cent. Kheda has recorded 18,584 eligible girls and 17,978 vaccinated at 97 per cent.
Porbandar has reported 4,487 eligible girls and 4,359 vaccinated at 97 per cent, while Patan has recorded 11,565 eligible girls and 11,262 vaccinated at 97 per cent.
Botad has reported 5,891 eligible girls and 5,782 vaccinated at 98 per cent, while Sabarkantha has recorded 16,055 eligible girls and 15,787 vaccinated at 98 per cent.
Morbi has reported 8,323 eligible girls and 7,569 vaccinated at 91 per cent. Amreli has recorded 10,582 eligible girls and 9,617 vaccinated at 91 per cent, while Devbhumi Dwarka has reported 7,174 eligible girls and 6,456 vaccinated at 90 per cent.
Kachchh has reported 22,586 eligible girls and 20,406 vaccinated at 90 per cent. Rajkot district has recorded 12,259 eligible girls and 10,735 vaccinated at 88 per cent.
Dang has reported 3,796 eligible girls and 3,062 vaccinated at 81 per cent, while Ahmedabad Corporation has recorded 48,443 eligible girls and 22,813 vaccinated at 47 per cent, the lowest among reported units.
The state health department stated that the campaign will continue until the end of May, and urged eligible families to ensure that 14-year-old girls who have not yet received the vaccine are covered at the nearest government health facility.
Minister Pansheriya also appealed to parents to complete vaccination without delay and to avoid misinformation circulating on social media, stating that “such claims are not based on scientific evidence and should not deter participation in the programme”.
–IANS
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