Nearly two months after Haryana launched its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on February 28, the state has achieved only about 6% coverage, prompting a review at a state steering committee meeting on April 23.
In roughly eight weeks since rollout, only 13,580 doses have been administered against a target of 2.26 lakh for 14-year-old girls who are yet to turn 15. This sluggish start marks the last leg of the first phase of a three-month campaign, conducted in schools, district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres and major urban polyclinics.
In Gurgaon, just 709 doses were administered against a target of 16,228. Several districts remain in low triple digits, including Jhajjar (110), Jind (212) and Charkhi Dadri (223), while Karnal (2,417) and Yamunanagar (1,189) have fared relatively better.
Chief Secretary Calls for Awareness Campaigns
Chief secretary Anurag Rastogi, who chaired the meeting in Chandigarh, noted that cervical cancer remains one of the leading cancers among Indian women and called for sustained awareness campaigns across social media, radio, print and community platforms to counter misinformation. The meeting was attended by district deputy commissioners, chief medical officers and district education officers.
Officials cited vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, gaps in identifying out-of-school beneficiaries and weak interdepartmental coordination as key reasons for the slow uptake.
Role of Schools and Community Workers
Schools are central to the rollout, with teachers supporting mobilisation and the education department facilitating consent. ASHAs and anganwadi workers are mapping out-of-school girls, while urban local bodies and panchayats have been asked to reach slums, construction sites and rural pockets.
“District authorities have been directed to coordinate with school principals to motivate parents and ensure eligible students can readily access nearby health facilities,” said additional chief secretary (health), Dr Sumita Misra.
Targeted Campaigns to Counter Hesitancy
District administrations will hold regular review meetings and appoint nodal officers to track progress. “Haryana will launch targeted campaigns to counter vaccine hesitancy through social media, community outreach and involvement of medical bodies such as FOGSI, IMA and IAP,” said Dr Virender Yadav, director of NHM Haryana.
Vaccine Details and Safety
The vaccine being administered is Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine by MSD, given as a single 0.5ml intramuscular dose. Beneficiaries are registered on the U-WIN platform, which issues vaccination certificates automatically. The State Adverse Events Following Immunisation Committee has been activated to monitor post-vaccination events. Side effects are minimal — typically pain at the injection site, mild fever or body ache, manageable with paracetamol as advised by a doctor.
Experts noted that the vaccine is most effective before exposure to the virus, making the nine-to-14 age group the ideal target globally. It is approved by the Government of India and administered in 160 countries as part of national immunisation programmes.
National Context and Urgency
Nearly all cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV, with India reporting around 79,000 new cases and 35,000 deaths annually. The campaign aligns with the global target of vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15. With just weeks left in the campaign window, the state faces pressure to rapidly scale up.
