Jaipur: Rajasthan’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign has picked up pace, with 2.1 lakh eligible girls receiving the vaccine between Sept 16 and Oct 17, pushing overall coverage to 71.8%.Against a target of 7.2 lakh girls, 5.2 lakh have been vaccinated under the National HPV Vaccination Campaign since its launch in Feb 2026. Rajasthan now ranks fourth nationally in HPV vaccination coverage, behind Uttar Pradesh with 27.5 lakh doses, Bihar with 11.5 lakh doses and Madhya Pradesh with 7.6 lakh doses.Health officials said the campaign is being intensified through schools, outreach vaccination sessions and district-level monitoring to cover the remaining beneficiaries. The vaccine protects girls against strains of the human papillomavirus that can cause cervical cancer later in life.The state health department has missed the deadline for achieving 100% coverage three times. Officials said fresh instructions were issued in Sept to meet the full vaccination target by Oct 31. Districts were directed to identify eligible girls, prepare effective session plans and review progress regularly.Officials said the HPV vaccine is safe and effective, offering long-term protection against cervical cancer. They said a single dose at the age of 14 provides adequate protection and urged the public not to be influenced by myths or fear.Five districts have crossed 90% coverage. Deeg has achieved 100% of its target, followed by Sirohi at 94%, Alwar at 93%, Tonk at 90.9% and Jalore at 90.1%.With the campaign entering its final phase, the health department is focusing on reaching the remaining eligible girls across the state.
