Overview
- Health ministry data show nearly three lakh 14-year-old girls vaccinated within a fortnight, with Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha and Mizoram leading coverage.
- Launched on February 28, the three-month national push targets about 1.2 crore eligible girls across all states and union territories.
- The programme offers a single-dose Gardasil-4 shot free at government facilities on a voluntary basis, with mandatory parental consent and U-WIN registration.
- Vaccinations are conducted under medical supervision and sites are linked to 24x7 adverse events following immunisation management centres.
- Teachers in Telangana urged inclusion of girls up to 17 due to COVID-era schooling delays, while officials and medical panels are countering online misinformation about fertility and safety.