Government sources on Tuesday said that a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme will soon be rolled out, with an aim to curb the heavy burden of cervical cancers across India.
The initiative aims to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer—one of the most common yet preventable cancers affecting women in the country. This is significant since India accounts for one-third of the world’s cervical cancers globally.
Cervical cancer, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is among the top five most preventable cancers.
The national programme will administer Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that protects against HPV types 16 and 18, responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases, as well as types 6 and 11.
The vaccine to be introduced by the Indian government is manufactured by US-based Merck & Co.—known as MSD outside the United States and Canada—and will be supplied in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
In the private market in India, Gardasil 9 (covering 9 HPV strains) typically costs around Rs 10,850 per dose, while the quadrivalent Gardasil 4 – to be introduced by the government – is priced at approximately Rs 3,000–4,000 per dose.
Also, the vaccination is given in 2–3 doses several months apart.
But the government maintained that strong global and Indian scientific evidence indicates that a single dose provides robust and durable protection when administered within the recommended age group.
The programme will therefore focus on 14-year-old girls, an age that offers maximum preventive benefit before potential exposure to the virus, said sources.
It is estimated that there are 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years in India.
As per a 2022 WHO position paper on the HPV vaccine, as an off-label option, a single-dose schedule can be used in girls and boys aged 9–20 years.
A single-dose schedule could have comparable efficacy and duration of protection as a 2- dose schedule and may offer programme advantages, be more efficient and affordable, and contribute to improved coverage, the paper said.
It had also said that a minimum of 2 doses and, when feasible, 3 doses are necessary for those known to be immunocompromised or HIV infected.
The Centre, meanwhile, said that vaccination will be voluntary and provided free of cost through U-WIN, the digital platform where parents can register, book and confirm a time slot.
Doses will be administered exclusively at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandir or primary health centres, community health centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges.
All vaccination sites will be linked to 24X7 government health facilities to ensure immediate medical support and reinforce safety and parental confidence.
PERSISTENT YET PREVENTABLE
Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths reported annually—among the highest globally.
Scientific evidence establishes that almost all cases are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, particularly types 16 and 18, which together account for more than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases in India.
Despite being largely preventable through vaccination and early screening, the disease continues to impose a heavy burden on women and families.
The forthcoming HPV vaccination programme directly addresses this gap by preventing infection before it can progress to cancer.
GLOBALLY PROVEN PROTECTION
HPV vaccines are among the most extensively studied in the world, demonstrating 93–100 percent effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer caused by vaccine-covered HPV types.
Gardasil is a non-live vaccine, does not cause HPV infection, and has maintained an excellent safety record, supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since its introduction in 2006.
The programme aligns with recommendations from the WHO, which identifies HPV vaccination as a central pillar of its global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.
With this rollout, India will join over 160 countries that have incorporated HPV vaccination into their national immunisation schedules, including more than 90 countries implementing single-dose regimens to improve coverage and affordability.
Officials said the initiative is grounded in national disease-burden data and guided by recommendations from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
There were earlier talks to introduce Cervavac, an HPV vaccine by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in the national program. However, sources said that this vaccine is not WHO approved yet. Also, studies to assess the efficacy of vaccine though a single-dose are still underway.
In the private market, Cervavac is available at Rs 1200-1700 per dose.
