Concerned over the slow progress of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for adolescent girls, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has extended the nationwide drive by an additional three months. The extension aims at providing another opportunity to vaccinate eligible girls who have not yet received the vaccine and improve overall coverage of the campaign.
The HPV vaccination drive was launched across the country on February 28, 2026, with the objective of protecting girls from cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in India. The campaign targets girls who have completed 14 years of age, but not yet turned 15.
In Haryana, the response to the campaign has been lower than expected. Till June 5, out of the state’s target of 2.26 lakh eligible girls, only around 43,500 have been vaccinated so far, achieving just 19 per cent coverage.
“To provide an additional opportunity for vaccination of eligible beneficiaries who are yet to be vaccinated and improve the coverage, the campaign is now being extended for an additional period of three months. States may utilise the existing routine immunisation platform and available resources, including human resources logistics, available at the health facilities for HPV vaccination activities,” said a letter from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Karnal has emerged as the top performer, vaccinating 6,958 girls against a target of 12,352, achieving 56 per cent coverage. Kurukshetra follows with 3,683 vaccinations out of a target of 7,272, covering 51 per cent of eligible beneficiaries. Kaithal and Yamunanagar have also recorded 46 per cent and 45 per cent coverage respectively.
However, several districts continue to lag behind. Palwal has achieved 21 per cent, followed by Rewari (20 per cent), Panipat (19 per cent), Mahendragarh (19 per cent), Charkhi Dadri (18 per cent), Ambala, Bhiwani, Gurugram and Sonepat (17 per cent each), Panchkula (16 per cent), Fatehabad, Nuh and Rohtak (10 per cent each), Hisar (8 per cent), Sirsa (6 per cent), Jhajjar (5 per cent) and Jind (4 per cent).
Dr Poonam Chaudhary, Civil Surgeon, Karnal, said they had already enrolled all government-run health institutions in this drive. “Our team members visit door to door as well as covering educational institutions to achieve the target. Since there are holidays in schools, we are approaching parents through councillors, sarpanches, panches and village secretaries. Our Deputy Commissioner Dr Anand Kumar Sharma has already asked all the representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions to cooperate with the department,” said Dr Chaudhary.
To boost vaccination numbers, the district administration has already intensified awareness campaigns and is getting support from the Education Department, panchayati raj institutions, zila parishads and local community leaders. Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Shashi Garg appreciated the works being done by ASHA workers, ANMs and doctors for achieving the target. “We got three additional months and we are hopeful to achieve this target in the coming days,” she added.
Dr Abhay Aggarwal, nodal officer of the campaign, said the three additional months have given them an opportunity to reach out to the remaining beneficiaries. “We will make efforts to cover all remaining girls under this campaign,” he added. “We appeal to parents to come forward to get their girls vaccinated to save them from cervical cancer.”
