Daijiworld Media Network - Kozhikode
Kozhikode, Sep 27: Kerala, known for its strong healthcare indicators, is lagging behind several states in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 14-year-old girls against cervical cancer.
According to data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 1,72,747 of the 2,68,864 girls targeted for vaccination in Kerala have received the HPV vaccine, taking the state's coverage to 64.25%.
Across the country, more than 52 lakh girls had received the HPV vaccine as of July 15, according to the Union government. The nationwide campaign was launched on February 28, 2026, targeting around 1.2 crore eligible 14-year-old girls.
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have achieved 100% coverage, while Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have crossed 90%. Karnataka has recorded around 85% coverage, according to the reported data.
Within Kerala, Pathanamthitta has recorded the highest coverage, with 7,075 of its 7,288 targeted girls vaccinated, or 97.08%.
Kollam follows with 88.12% coverage, with 17,074 of 19,375 girls vaccinated. Kottayam has recorded 86.32%, Alappuzha 85.89% and Thiruvananthapuram 85.71%. Idukki has achieved 81.70% coverage.
Ernakulam has vaccinated 75.34% of its targeted girls, while Thrissur and Wayanad have recorded 73.32% and 73.29%, respectively.
Coverage falls below 60% in Kannur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Malappuram. Kannur has recorded 56.70% and Palakkad 56.61%.
Kozhikode has vaccinated 13,128 of its 26,342 targeted girls, accounting for 49.84% coverage. The district's HPV vaccination campaign has been extended until December 31, with vaccines available free of cost through schools and health centres.
Kasaragod has recorded 45.88% coverage, with 5,913 of 12,889 targeted girls vaccinated.
Malappuram has the lowest coverage in the state at 31.20%. Of the 44,929 girls targeted in the district, only 14,017 have received the vaccine.
The HPV vaccination programme is aimed at preventing infection with human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer. The Union government's campaign provides a single dose of the Gardasil-4 vaccine free of cost through government health facilities, including primary and community health centres, district hospitals and government medical colleges.
Kerala had also initiated measures to promote HPV vaccination before the national campaign, with the state government approving a programme for schoolgirls as part of its cervical cancer prevention efforts.
The reported coverage figures highlight a significant variation between districts, with southern districts generally recording higher uptake while several northern districts continue to report lower vaccination levels.