India to start free HPV vaccination for girls
India is scheduled to launch a nationwide campaign on Saturday to offer free HPV shots to a target cohort of approximately 1.15 crore 14-year-old girls each year on a voluntary basis with parental or guardian consent.
The goal: protect over 1 crore girls each year from cervical cancer, using the single-dose Gardasil vaccine at government health centers.
How to get vaccinated
The drive runs for 90 days—no need to sign up in advance, just show up with parental consent.
Campaign coverage will be tracked on the U-WIN platform, and trained staff will make sure vaccines stay safe and support is always available.
Cervical cancer and HPV
HPV causes most cervical cancer cases in India, leading to thousands of deaths every year.
The vaccine is highly effective (scientific evidence shows 93-100% effectiveness against cervical cancer caused by vaccine-covered HPV types),
and India now joins over 160 countries fighting to wipe out cervical cancer for good.