Not Many Takers For HPV vaccine in Ludhiana; Cases of Missing Girls Surface

June

2026

The 90-day Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in Ludhiana—for girls who have completed 14 years of age but have not yet turned 15—has been extended by another 90 days after only 825 vaccinations were completed so far. Launched on 5 Mar with a target of 40K girls and the goal of protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer, the campaign is facing significant challenges such as misinformation about infertility, social stigma, and early trial controversies. The drive, conducted across 19 government school centers, was expected to be a landmark step in reducing cervical cancer cases, which remain one of the leading causes of mortality among women in India. However, on 3 Jun, the Health Department again decided to extend the drive, noting that recent awareness efforts, such as workshops in schools and sessions during parent-teacher meetings, have begun to yield results late, with 300 girls vaccinated on 1 Jun and 225 on 2 Jun. Meanwhile, police busted a prostitution racket being run from a home in Khanna. Seven people, including a couple, were arrested during the raid after an anonymous complaint at the Senior Superintendent of Police’s office. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate executed extensive search operations across Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Panjab on 3 Jun, targeting Indian agents and recruiters facilitating a massive transnational human trafficking and ‘cyber slavery’ network operating between India and Cambodia. Enforcement bodies and state police wings have launched a major, coordinated crackdown against these networks across the country. Furthermore, several girls across Ludhiana have reportedly gone ‘missing’ from their homes after reports of their disappearance surfaced across media and digital platforms. Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma said that 11 First Information Reports involving 13 girls had been registered across various police stations in Ludhiana in recent weeks. He added, ‘These minor girls were not kidnapped or abducted for extortion. Most of them appear to have left their homes on their own. In one case registered at the Jamalpur police station, UP, three girls were recovered from their native village where they had gone voluntarily due to family-related issues.’ The Punjab State Women Commission has taken cognizance of the matter, seeking a status report on the investigation and the measures being taken to trace the missing girls (earlier coverage).