India surpasses 8 million HPV vaccinations in cervical cancer prevention campaign
Quick Look
- India has administered over 8 million HPV vaccinations since February 2026 under a national campaign providing free, voluntary, single-dose shots to 14-year-old girls with parental consent.
- Uttar Pradesh leads with over 2.2 million doses, while Gujarat and Mizoram report 100% coverage.
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Why It Matters
India launched a national HPV vaccination campaign in February 2026 to prevent cervical cancer by providing free, voluntary, single-dose vaccinations to 14-year-old girls with parental consent at government health facilities.
This marks a major step in cervical caner prevention
- New Delhi: India has crossed the 80 lakh mark in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination under the national campaign since its launch in Feb 2026, marking a major step in cervical cancer prevention. The campaign provides free, voluntary, single-dose HPV vaccination to 14-year-old girls, with parental consent, at govt health facilities. Around 1.2 crore 14-year-old girls are expected to benefit from the initiative. Uttar Pradesh leads with over 22 lakh vaccinations, while Gujarat and Mizoram have achieved 100% coverage. Bihar and Assam have crossed 90%, Karnataka 85%, and Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Kerala, Telangana and Odisha 60%.
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Open Questions
- What is the total target population for the HPV vaccination campaign?
- Are there plans to expand the vaccination to other age groups or genders?
- How will the campaign address vaccine hesitancy in regions with lower coverage?
