The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is set to hold a city-wide mega vaccination drive on May 7 as part of its ongoing HPV immunisation program. The initiative aims to prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls by offering free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to girls aged 14 to 15 years at various health centers and municipal hospitals. Eligible beneficiaries can avail the vaccine without any cost during this campaign, which is a part of a broader preventive health initiative in the city.
AMC officials have disclosed that the civic body’s goal is to vaccinate 48,561 adolescent girls under this program. Currently, 22,137 girls have already received the vaccine. Previous phases of the program included two mega drives where 1,933 and 2,872 girls were vaccinated on April 24 and April 30, respectively. The corporation emphasizes that the HPV vaccine, which is usually priced at around Rs 3,000 in private healthcare facilities, is being provided free of charge under this civic program to ensure wider accessibility.
Launched in February this year, the campaign in Ahmedabad combines vaccination with ongoing awareness activities. These efforts involve various forms of publicity such as hoardings, banners, standees, radio jingles, and social media outreach. Additionally, the AMC has been sharing informational content and interviews with vaccinated girls to promote participation and address awareness gaps related to cervical cancer prevention.
According to official data, the state-level HPV vaccination program in Gujarat aims to cover 5,62,324 adolescent girls, out of which 5,06,100 have already been vaccinated as part of the ongoing campaign. Local representatives, social leaders, and schools, both government and private, have been engaged by the AMC to enhance awareness efforts and expand outreach among eligible adolescents. Officials leading the program have emphasized that the initiative is grounded in established medical research and international vaccination practices, where HPV immunization is recognized as a key preventive measure against cervical cancer. The current vaccination campaign is scheduled to run until May 30, allowing girls aged between 14 and 15 years to access the vaccine at designated civic health facilities across Ahmedabad.
