Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls on February 28 from Ajmer, Rajasthan, formally marking India’s intensified push to eliminate preventable cancers among women.
The campaign will administer a single dose of Gardasil 4, a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against HPV types 16 and 18—responsible for cervical cancer—as well as types 6 and 11.
As per media reports, in a letter dated February 25 to all states and Union Territories, the Union Health Ministry announced that the launch is scheduled for 11:30 am, with the Prime Minister initiating the drive from Ajmer. The communication, issued by Additional Secretary and NHM Mission Director Aradhana Patnaik, said all states and UTs will join the event virtually through coordination with local NIC centres. Chief ministers, administrators, state health ministers and senior health officials are expected to participate from their respective headquarters.
Highlighting cervical cancer as a major public health challenge in India and globally, the ministry noted that it is caused by HPV and is the only cancer preventable through vaccination. It reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding vaccination coverage among adolescent girls to curb the disease.
Under the programme, all 14-year-old girls will receive the vaccine at government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges. Each vaccination site will have a functional cold chain point and a designated medical officer to manage any adverse events following immunisation (AEFI).
The vaccination drive is voluntary, and written consent from parents or guardians is mandatory. The HPV vaccine will be available daily for three months to ensure maximum coverage, after which it will be provided on routine immunisation days at the same facilities.
The ministry said officials from states and UTs have already been trained, and adequate vaccine doses have been supplied based on the target population. Following the national launch in Ajmer, states and UTs will hold their own launch events the same day.
The ministry has asked states and UTs to set up special vaccination session sites at designated government health facilities equipped with cold chain infrastructure and dedicated medical officers, ensure sufficient vaccine stock for the launch, and complete all logistical preparations.
