Patiala, June 5 -- Over three months after the Punjab government rolled out its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, with a target to cover 3.11 lakh girls aged 14, only 26,339 have received the vaccine as of June 1, official data shows.

The vaccine, which protects girls against human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer, is being provided for free at government health centres, otherwise costing between Rs.4,000 and Rs.6,000.

The programme uses a single-shot Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, which provides protection against four HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11, which cause genital warts. The government is procuring the vaccine from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. ...