GUWAHATI: Kamrup Metropolitan district has become the first district in Assam to exceed its target under the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Programme, achieving 100.9 per cent coverage among eligible beneficiaries.
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According to a press release, a total of 12,655 adolescent girls were vaccinated against an assigned target of 12,539, surpassing the district's goal under the special vaccination campaign.
The HPV vaccination programme was launched across Assam on March 15, under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of the Government of India. As per national guidelines, the initiative was implemented as a three-month special campaign targeting 14-year-old adolescent girls.
Under the programme, beneficiaries were administered a single dose of the Gardasil-4 HPV vaccine free of cost. The vaccine provides protection against cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers affecting women.
Vaccination sessions were conducted at health facilities equipped with Cold Chain Points across the district under the supervision of medical officers.
The campaign was carried out under the leadership of Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner Swapneel Paul and District Development Commissioner Parijat Bhuyan.
Officials including Joint Director of Health Services (In-Charge) Dr. Narayan Dutta Sharma, Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer (Family Welfare) Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Bhuyan, District Immunization Officer Dr. Bhabendra Kumar Das and District Nodal Officer for the HPV vaccination campaign Dr. Mukuta Medhi played key roles in implementing the programme.
Authorities also stated that vaccination-related data was regularly recorded on the U-WIN portal throughout the campaign period.
