Sindh extends HPV campaign as 41% of target girls remain uncovered
Province vaccinates 2.36m in first round; Karachi trails far behind Sindh average despite gains in schools By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Having administered the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to around 2.36 million of its target adolescent girls (9–14 years) in 12 allocated days, Sindh has decided to extend the campaign for another three days to reach many of the 1.6 million girls who remained unvaccinated when the drive officially ended on September 27. Sindh concluded the campaign with a 59% coverage rate, placing it second after Punjab at 61%. Nationally, about 60% of the targeted girls were vaccinated, while coverage stood lower in Azad Kashmir (36%) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (32%). Dr Raj Kumar, Project Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), which is executing the HPV campaign in Sindh, told this scribe that after a review meeting on September 28, it was decided to extend vaccination activities from September 29 for three more days. “Teamwork, s...