Key Points
The Union Health Ministry will roll out a voluntary, free HPV vaccination programme for 14-year-old girls across India, using a single dose of Gardasil-4.
Nearly 1.15 crore girls who turn 14 each year will be eligible under the special campaign, separate from the Universal Immunisation Programme.
Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths annually.
The Union Health Ministry is set to roll out a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme in February-March 2026 for adolescent girls aged 14 years. The campaign will offer a single-dose vaccine free of cost through government health facilities across all States and Union Territories, aiming to significantly reduce India’s cervical cancer burden.
The rollout follows recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and aligns with global best practices. With the launch of the programme, India will join more than 160 countries that have integrated HPV vaccination into their national immunisation schedules.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes cervical cancer as one of the most preventable cancers, provided vaccination and screening are widely available. Officials said the upcoming programme directly addresses this challenge by preventing HPV infection before it progresses to pre-cancerous lesions and, eventually, cancer. Abnormal cell changes caused by high-risk HPV types can develop into cervical cancer over a period of 10 to 15 years if undetected and untreated.
Cervical cancer continues to impose a significant health burden as the second most prevalent cancer among Indian women. Nearly 80,000 new cases are reported annually, and over 42,000 women die from the disease each year. According to officials, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, particularly 16 and 18, accounts for more than 80% of cervical cancer cases in the country. Globally, persistent high-risk HPV infection is responsible for around 95% of cases.
Officials said the vaccination will be voluntary and designed to ensure equitable access across socio-economic groups. During the first 90 days of the campaign, all girls aged 14 years as per their date of birth will be able to receive the vaccine at government health centres. After this initial phase, eligible beneficiaries will be able to book vaccination slots at their nearest health and wellness centre through the U-WIN portal, a digital platform similar to CoWIN used during the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Each year, approximately 1.15 crore girls turning 14 will become eligible for the vaccine. The government narrowed the target age to 14 years after assessing evidence that immunisation at this age offers the strongest and longest-lasting protection, well before potential exposure to the virus.
The national programme will use Gardasil-4, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine manufactured by Merck & Co. The vaccine protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases, as well as types 6 and 11. Health Ministry officials said global and Indian scientific evidence confirms that a single dose administered in the recommended age group provides robust and durable protection.
The decision to adopt a single-dose schedule aligns with recommendations from the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. In 2022, the group concluded that a single-dose HPV vaccine provides protection comparable to two-dose regimens for individuals aged 9 to 20 years. More than 90 countries have adopted single-dose schedules to improve coverage and affordability.
India has secured vaccine supplies through its partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The organisation is providing approximately 2.6 crore doses, of which more than one crore doses have already reached the country. The remaining supplies are expected to arrive over the course of this year and next. Officials said procurement has followed stringent quality and cold-chain standards to ensure uninterrupted availability.
HPV vaccines have been administered worldwide since 2006, with more than 500 million doses given globally. Officials emphasised that the vaccine is non-live and cannot cause HPV infection. Evidence reviewed by health authorities indicates that the vaccine is 93-100% effective in preventing cervical cancer caused by vaccine-covered HPV types.
Vaccination sessions will be conducted exclusively at designated government facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Community Health Centres, Sub-District and District Hospitals, and Government Medical Colleges. Each session will be supervised by trained medical officers and supported by skilled healthcare teams. All sites will be linked to 24×7 government health facilities to manage any rare adverse events following immunisation, officials said.
Although HPV vaccines are available in private healthcare facilities, cost has been a barrier. Gardasil-4 is typically priced between ₹3,000 and ₹4,000 per dose in the private market. Other options include Gardasil 9 and Cervavac, developed by the Serum Institute of India. However, officials noted that the indigenous Cervavac vaccine has not yet been approved by the WHO for a single-dose schedule, and its single-dose efficacy is still under evaluation.
The special vaccination drive is separate from the Universal Immunisation Programme but forms part of India’s broader preventive healthcare strategy. By focusing on immunisation at age 14, before potential exposure to the virus and during a period of stronger immune response, the government aims to strengthen long-term protection for future generations of women.
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