HPV Drive Ends Successfully, Hitting 77.7% Coverage

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2025) The important Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign across Rawalpindi district ended with significant achievements throughout the nine tehsils, protecting young girls from cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. From September 15 to 27, the drive targeted 395,609 girls across the district, successfully vaccinating 307,421 making a coverage rate of 77.71%.

According to the campaign data received by APP, the campaign’s performance varied across tehsils and towns. Kotli Sattian led with an outstanding 91.6% coverage rate, reflecting strong community engagement. Rawalpindi City and Cantonment followed with 83.5% and 83.1% coverage, respectively, also indicating effective urban vaccination efforts. Murree 80.9% and Kahuta 81% demonstrated solid results despite movement challenges in hilly areas. This also shows impactful maneuver by the health teams' dedication and support by local administration. Taxila achieved 78.9% coverage, Gujar Khan 76% and Rawalpindi Rural 68.9%. Kallar Syedan had the lowest coverage rate; at 58.6%.

Camping at allied hospitals, Primary healthcare units and Basic Health Units, the campaign was designed with a two-prong strategy, combining in-school vaccination drives and extensive community outreach programs ensuring that girls in both urban and rural areas had access to the vaccine. Community-based efforts proved particularly effective, accounting for over 72% of all vaccinations administered. The District Health Authority (DHA) devised a robust plan that maximized reach and widespread participation.

Safety of the drive in terms of secure administering process remained a cornerstone of the campaign. Among the 307,421 of doses administered, only two minor Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) were reported. This remarkably low number reassured both health officials and the public of the vaccine’s reliability, reinforcing trust in the immunization program and highlighting its suitability for large-scale rollouts.

Dr. Ehsan Ghani, CEO DHA has lauded the dedicated efforts of the health teams in reaching out the maxima. He expressed confidence for enhanced coverage rates in future campaigns. The health chief also appreciated the cooperation by parents for vaccinating their daughters.

On the other hand, despite the campaign’s overall success, a total of 64,610 girls were missed, primarily due to parental or individual refusals and unavailability.

"Data analysis revealed that over 70% of these missed cases routed out from refusals, pointing to vaccine hesitancy as a significant barrier", said Dr. Waqar Ahmad, the official spokesman of the health authority.

He informed the APP that DHA was now closely examining these gaps, aiming to address misconceptions and enhance public awareness for future campaigns.

"This analysis will be critical in designing targeted interventions to enhance participation and achieve even higher coverage rates in future drives", he added.

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