Over 52 Lakh Girls Receive Free HPV Vaccine Under Nationwide Campaign For Preventing Cervical Cancer: Centre

 

 

More than 52 lakh girls have been vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) under the Centre’s nationwide vaccination campaign launched earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed Parliament on Tuesday. Replying to an unstarred question by BJP MP Dr K Laxman and Congress MP S Niranjan Reddy, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said that 52,10,302 girls had received the HPV vaccine across the country as of July 15, 2026.

 

The nationwide HPV vaccination campaign was launched on February 28 this year, targetting approximately 1.2 crore eligible girls aged 14 years and more across all 36 States and Union Territories. The initiative is aimed at protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer by providing the vaccine free of cost through the public healthcare system.

“The HPV vaccine is being administered at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs), District Hospitals (DHs), and Government Medical Colleges (GMCs),” Patel informed the House.

 

To ensure smooth implementation of the programme, the government has completed extensive training of medical and paramedical personnel across all States and Union Territories. The vaccination campaign is being monitored through the U-WIN portal, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s digital vaccination platform, which captures real-time coverage data. The minister said the Centre is also undertaking a large-scale awareness campaign to improve vaccine acceptance and address hesitancy. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities include radio jingles, posters, banners, myth-busting digital content and social media campaigns, with special emphasis on reaching girls in rural, tribal and urban slum areas.

 

Highlighting the government’s broader strategy to combat cervical cancer, Patel said the HPV vaccination drive is part of a comprehensive national programme that also includes screening, early diagnosis through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and treatment at Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs). The government said the integrated approach is aimed at reducing the burden of cervical cancer through prevention, timely detection and accessible treatment, while ensuring that eligible adolescent girls across the country receive protection against HPV infection.