India set to launch free nationwide HPV vaccination for adolescent girls

The Union Health Ministry is set to launch a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme targeting girls aged 14 years. The vaccination will be voluntary and free of cost, ensuring equitable access across socio-economic groups.

India will use Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, for protection from HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. “Global and Indian scientific evidence confirms that a single dose provides robust and durable protection when administered to girls in the recommended age group,’’ a senior Health Ministry official said.

“The nationwide programme will target girls aged 14 years, an age at which the HPV vaccine offers maximum preventive benefit, well before potential exposure to the virus,” the official said.