HPV Vaccination: In a significant move towards cervical cancer prevention, the Indian government is all set to launch a countrywide immunization campaign against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) later this month. As part of this initiative, the HPV vaccine will be administered for free to 14-year-old girls at government health facilities across the country.
The initiative will target girls aged 14 years every year and aims to reach approximately 1.2 crore girls annually. Although the immunization is optional, the government is making efforts to ensure that the vaccine reaches as many girls as possible by conducting the immunization sessions at government-approved health centers across the country.
Addressing a Major Cancer Burden
Cervical cancer continues to be the second most common cancer among women in India, with close to 80,000 new cases and 42,000 deaths each year. Infection with high-risk types of HPV, especially types 16 and 18, contributes to more than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases. Therefore, vaccination is seen as an important preventive tool by public health officials.
According to TOI, the move comes after intense advocacy at the highest levels of the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the need for cervical cancer prevention, including vaccination, early screening, and accessible treatment. He did so, among other occasions, during the Quad Cancer Moonshot in September 2024.
Special Campaign Model With Digital Tracking
Unlike other vaccines that are administered through the Universal Immunisation Programme, the HPV vaccine will be administered through a special campaign conducted on designated immunization days. The beneficiaries will be monitored through the U-WIN online platform, which will allow for real-time monitoring.
Vaccine Supply and Global Backing
The vaccine to be administered will be the quadrivalent HPV vaccine Gardasil, which will protect against HPV types 16 and 18, as well as types 6 and 11. The vaccine distribution is also being aided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has pledged 2.6 crore doses of the vaccine so far. Of these, 1.5 crore doses have already been shipped. It is estimated that 1.2 crore doses will be needed every year to cover the cohort of each year.
Worldwide, more than 500 million doses of HPV vaccines have been administered, which has further strengthened faith in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
Experts Call the Move Historic
Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Department of Radiation Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi, called it a “historic milestone.” He added that the “programme further reinforces India’s commitment to the elimination of cervical cancer, protects lakhs of girls from a preventable disease, and lessens the long-term treatment toll, in keeping with the World Health Organization’s elimination targets.”
Dr. Pragya Shukla, Head of Clinical Oncology at Delhi State Cancer Institute, agreed with Dr. Abhishek Shankar. She said that “pre-sexual debut vaccination is paramount, given the silent and irreversible nature of HPV infection, whereas the vaccine has been shown to be safe and efficacious.”
Single-Dose Strategy Backed by Evidence
The vaccination campaign in India will follow a single dose approach, which has been supported by robust global evidence showing the effectiveness of simplified dosing regimens in providing long-term protection against the disease. This move is expected to accelerate the coverage and improve the country’s cervical cancer prevention program.
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