India Crosses 80 Lakh HPV Vaccine Doses in Cancer Drive

India has crossed a milestone in the fight against cervical cancer. More than 80 lakh doses of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine have been given under the National HPV Vaccination Campaign. That is over 8 million doses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the campaign in February 2026. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced the figure on 11 September 2026.

Who gets the vaccine

The campaign covers girls aged 14. The dose is a single one. It is voluntary and free of cost. It is given at government health facilities with the consent of a parent. Going by the Registrar General of India's estimates of 2021, about 1.2 crore girls turn 14 every year and form the annual cohort for the programme.

How the states stand

How the reach was built

The work was done through the public health network. District health teams tracked the eligible girls. Paediatricians, gynaecologists and experts from institutions such as AIIMS supported the effort. Teachers, ASHAs and ANMs carried the message to families and answered doubts about the vaccine. States used methods suited to their own terrain, including rural, urban, remote and difficult areas. The campaign also used the U-WIN platform, which let programme managers watch coverage district by district, find the gaps and trace the beneficiaries who had been missed.

Safety and the global picture

Every session is held under a trained Medical Officer at a government facility. The facilities are linked to round-the-clock care for the rare Adverse Events Following Immunization, so that any such event is assessed and managed in time. Worldwide, more than 800 million doses of HPV vaccines have been distributed, which gives a large body of experience on their use and safety. HPV vaccines are now part of the national immunisation programmes of 87 per cent of upper-middle-income countries, 78 per cent of lower-middle-income countries and 54 per cent of low-income countries. With the Indian campaign in its final phase, the focus has shifted to the girls who remain to be covered.