Published Feb 25, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 25, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the cells of the cervix, which is the lower, narrow end of the uterus. (Shutterstock)
Synopsis: The Union government will soon roll out a nationwide voluntary vaccination programme against cervical cancer for 14-year-old girls, offering a single-shot dose of Gardasil free of cost. The vaccine targets four high-risk HPV strains, including types 16 and 18, which cause more than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases in India.
Every seven minutes, a woman in India dies of cervical cancer. The Union government will soon roll out a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme targeting girls aged 14, PTI reported on Tuesday, 24 February, citing official sources.
The programme will use Gardasil, a single-shot vaccine that targets four strains of HPV, including types 16 and 18, which cause more than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases in India.
Gardasil is sold commercially at ₹3,927 per dose for girls below 15. Under the government programme, 14-year-old girls will receive the same protection at no cost at their nearest Ayushman Arogya Mandir or government health facility.
The vaccination will be voluntary and run as a special drive outside the Universal Immunisation Programme. Trained medical officers will administer the doses and monitor recipients afterwards.
HPV is transmitted primarily through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Most people who contract the virus have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. In most cases, the immune system clears HPV naturally. But some high-risk strains persist in the body and, over many years, cause cell changes that can develop into cancer.
Vaccination in early adolescence, around age 14, provides protection before most young people are exposed to the virus. By preventing infection with the most dangerous strains, the vaccine reduces the risk of HPV-related cancers later in life.
Clinical evidence puts the effectiveness of HPV vaccines at 93 to 100 percent against the strains they cover. Studies show immunity lasts at least 12 to 15 years.
The Union government procured its vaccine supply through India’s partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The doses meet India’s drug regulatory standards and cold-chain requirements.
India records nearly 80,000 new cervical cancer cases each year. More than 42,000 women die annually. The country accounts for roughly 25 percent of the global burden. Vaccination can cut these numbers over a generation because it prevents infection before cancer develops.
Globally, more than 500 million doses of Gardasil have been administered since 2006. More than 90 countries now use single-dose schedules. Once this programme launches, India will join 160 countries that have adopted HPV vaccination in their national health systems.
Doctors caution that the shot does not remove the need for screening. Women who receive the vaccine should still undergo Pap smears or HPV DNA tests at regular intervals.
The vaccine covers the four most consequential HPV strains but not all, so screening catches cancers vaccination cannot prevent.
