India to launch nationwide HPV vaccination drive for 14-year-old girls on THIS date: More details inside
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India to launch nationwide HPV vaccination drive for 14-year-old girls on THIS date: More details inside")
Representative image. Photograph: (Unsplash)
The campaign on HPV shots will first focus on girls aged 14, those who have completed their 14th year but have not yet reached 15, and will be conducted as an intensive three-month drive before being folded into the routine immunisation programme.
India is set to launch the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination campaign across the nation for 14-year-old girls on February 28 from Ajmer, Rajasthan. The move marks the formal start of the large-scale push of India to stop cervical cancer through immunisation.
The Union Health Ministry said in an official letter, which was sent to states and union territories, that the campaign has been planned “tentatively at 11.30 am on 28th February 2026" and that “The Prime Minister has kindly consented to launch the campaign from Ajmer, Rajasthan."
The letter highlighted the public health rationale, underscoring, “Cervical cancer is a significant public health concern in our country as well as globally. It is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and it is the only cancer which can be prevented by a vaccine."
What are the operational guidelines?
The initiative will first focus on girls aged 14, those who have completed their 14th year but have not yet reached 15, and will be conducted as an intensive three-month drive before being folded into the routine immunisation programme. To reduce anxiety-related reactions among adolescents, the guidelines recommend that vaccinations not be administered on an empty stomach, that recipients be monitored for 30 minutes after the shot, and that crowding at vaccination sites be avoided.
The operational guidelines attached to the letter instruct states to roll out the programme immediately after the Prime Minister’s launch. “Initiate the HPV vaccination on 28th February 2026 after the launch event as per the following detailed guidelines," the letter said.
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“Target Population: Girls aged 14 years (those who have celebrated their 14th birthday but have not yet celebrated their 15th birthday)," it added. The letter further clarifies that “Girls who will turn 15 years within 90 days of the launch will also be eligible for vaccination during the intensive three-month HPV vaccination activity."
The document also reiterates that HPV vaccination is voluntary and requires mandatory consent from a parent or legal guardian before girls are vaccinated.
