NEW DELHI: The Government of India is set to launch a nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at preventing cervical cancer among adolescent girls aged 14 years and above. Under the initiative, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine will be provided free of cost across the country, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The vaccine to be administered is Gardasil-4, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that offers protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases. It also protects against HPV types 6 and 11.

The vaccination drive will be implemented as a separate programme and will not be integrated into the existing university immunization framework. Doses will be administered at government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres) nationwide.

The initiative is expected to align with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, which emphasizes HPV vaccination as a key pillar in the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.

While Gardasil-4 is currently available in the Indian market at a price of approximately ?3,927 per dose, the government programme will provide the vaccine free of cost. The vaccination will remain voluntary, and officials clarified that there will be no compulsion for beneficiaries.

According to health guidelines, girls below 15 years of age typically require two doses, while those aged 15 and above may require three doses under standard vaccination protocols. However, single-dose schedules have been adopted in several countries based on updated global health recommendations.

Manufactured in India by MSD India, Gardasil-4 has been in global use since 2006. Over the past decade, more than 500 million doses have been administered across 160 countries. Currently, nearly 90 countries have implemented single-dose HPV vaccination strategies.

Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India. The country records over 80,000 new cases annually, with approximately 42,000 deaths reported each year. Health experts state that timely vaccination significantly reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer later in life.

Officials emphasized that early immunization remains one of the most effective preventive measures against HPV-related diseases and urged eligible beneficiaries to take advantage of the upcoming programme.