As part of a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme launched on March 8 in Telangana to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer, the Health department has administered 24,175 doses across all 33 districts, according to data. The campaign targets girls aged 14 to 15 years with an estimated target population of 4.6 lakh beneficiaries and is being rolled out through government health facilities across the State.
The district-wise data as of April 10, accessed by The Hindu, highlights stark variations in the vaccination coverage, with Khammam emerging as the top-performing district and Narayanpet at the bottom.
Khammam has administered 3,040 (12.5%) doses, the highest in the State, followed by Rangareddy with 1,760 (7.2%) doses and Siddipet with 1,476 (6.1%) doses. Nizamabad with 1,365 (5.6%) and Mahabubnagar with 1,356 (5.6%) round off the top five districts.
At the other end, Narayanpet has recorded just 144 (0.6%) vaccinations, the lowest in the State. Other low-performing districts include Suryapet (211), Mulugu (231), Mancherial (317) and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad (321). Hyderabad has administered 560 doses, placing it 17th among 33 districts, well below several rural districts.
