HPV vaccination drive crosses 8 mn doses as India targets cervical cancer

India has administered over 8 million doses of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to girls aged 14 years, seven months after the Centre rolled out a national campaign for cervical cancer prevention.

The nationwide HPV vaccination campaign, launched on February 28, aims to prevent cervical cancer, the second-most common cancer among women in India, which reports nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths annually.

The Union Health Ministry said on Friday that states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have achieved 100 per cent coverage, while Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have crossed a 90 per cent vaccination rate.

While the ministry did not share absolute numbers, estimates from the Registrar General of India (RGI) 2021 suggest that the campaign could target 12 million girls annually.

Under the campaign, MSD’s single-dose Gardasil-4 vaccine is administered free of cost at government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), sub-district and district hospitals and government medical colleges.

Till February this year, the vaccine was available only in private hospitals, costing up to Rs 4,000 per dose. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), India’s apex immunisation body, had recommended its inclusion in the national HPV vaccination campaign.

HPV vaccination, initially adopted predominantly by high-income countries, has progressively expanded into national immunisation programmes across countries at different income levels. At present, 87 per cent of upper-middle-income countries, 78 per cent of lower-middle-income countries and 54 per cent of low-income countries have adopted HPV vaccines in their National Immunisation Programmes.

More than 800 million doses of HPV vaccines (Gardasil) have been distributed globally.

The Supreme Court yesterday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) raising concerns over the government’s HPV vaccination drive.

The plea filed by Universal Health Organisation alleged that the HPV vaccination programme violated constitutional guarantees of informed consent, bodily autonomy, transparency and accountability.

The Union Health Ministry stated on Friday that all vaccinations under the campaign are voluntary and administered with parental consent at government health facilities.

“Government health facilities are also linked with 24×7 healthcare facilities for appropriate management of rare Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI),” the ministry added.

India integrated Gardasil into its national immunisation programme through a partnership with the Gavi vaccine alliance.

“The procurement follows stringent quality and cold-chain standards, enabling the government to provide the vaccine free of cost to eligible girls across all states and union territories,” officials in the know said.

The ministry added that health authorities are coordinating with schools, local bodies and healthcare workers to ensure smooth vaccine access.