Government of India to launch free nationwide HPV vaccination drive for 14-year-old girls

The Government of India is set to roll out a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme targeting girls aged 9–14 years, with a special focus on 14-year-olds, as part of a major push to prevent cervical cancer. Official sources confirmed that the Gardasil vaccine will be administered free of cost under the initiative.

India records nearly 80,000 new cervical cancer cases every year, with approximately 35,000 deaths attributed to the disease. Health authorities believe that early vaccination before potential exposure to the virus will significantly reduce the long-term disease burden.

The vaccine protects against high-risk HPV strains responsible for cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers, as well as genital warts. Currently, the HPV vaccine can cost around Rs 14,000 in private healthcare facilities, making the government’s free rollout a major relief for families.

Under the programme, vaccines will be administered through schools (covering students from Classes 5 to 10) and government primary health centres to ensure wide accessibility.

Officials describe the move as a landmark public health intervention aimed at strengthening preventive healthcare for adolescent girls and drastically reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the coming decades.