HPV vaccination campaign

HPV vaccination campaign

News –

• Karnataka’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for adolescent girls has crossed a major milestone by securing 2,00,028 beneficiaries, accounting for 29% of its total target population of 6.89 lakh girls aged 14 to 15 years.

Key findings –

• Kalaburagi (Leader): Emerged as the best-performing district, vaccinating 20,511 girls to reach 68.5% of its target while utilizing 94.2% of its vaccine stock.
• Yadgir: Ranked second by achieving 60.7% of its target population.
• Shivamogga: Stood third with a 50.9% coverage rate.
• Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) (Trail): Recorded the lowest progress in the state.

 Key Details of the Vaccination Drive

• Target Group: The campaign primarily targets girls who have completed 14 years of age but are below 15 years.
• Scale of the Initiative: Approximately 6 lakh girls in Karnataka have been identified as eligible beneficiaries, contributing to a national target of nearly 1.15 crore girls.
• Vaccine Type & Dosage: The drive uses the quadrivalent Gardasil-4 vaccine, which protects against four common HPV strains (6, 11, 16, and 18). Under the current national guidelines, it is administered as a single-dose intramuscular injection.
• Cost: The vaccine is provided free of cost at government health facilities.
• Duration: The initial intensive campaign is set for three months (90 days) in mission mode, after which the vaccine will be integrated into routine immunization days.