{"id":89982,"date":"2026-02-26T11:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T05:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=89982"},"modified":"2026-02-26T11:09:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T05:39:02","slug":"hpv-vaccination-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/hpv-vaccination-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"HPV Vaccination Drive: India\u2019s Big Push Against Cervical Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>HPV Vaccination Drive Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union government is preparing to launch a nationwide <\/span><b>single-dose HPV vaccination drive<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> targeting <\/span><b>14-year-old girls<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to curb cervical cancer in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cervical cancer is the <\/span><b>second most<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> common cancer among Indian women, and nearly 90% of cases are caused by persistent <\/span><b><i>human papillomavirus (HPV) infection<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since HPV-related cancers are vaccine-preventable, widespread immunisation can significantly reduce disease burden.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond cervical cancer, HPV vaccination can also lower the incidence of anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and throat cancers. The campaign is therefore a major public health step toward reducing cancer-related morbidity and mortality in India<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>HPV Vaccination Drive: Eligibility and Rollout Plan<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The HPV vaccine targets a common sexually transmitted infection, with certain strains responsible for cervical and other cancers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vaccination during early adolescence \u2014 before sexual activity begins \u2014 provides stronger and longer-lasting immunity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming 90-day nationwide campaign will offer a single-dose HPV vaccine to all 14-year-old girls across India.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eligible beneficiaries must book appointments at government health centres through the <\/span><b>U-Win digital platform<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, similar to the Co-Win system used during the Covid-19 vaccination drive.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the initial campaign phase, HPV vaccination will continue under the routine immunisation programme at health and wellness centres.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each year, around 1.15 crore girls turning 14 will be eligible to receive the vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>HPV Vaccination Drive: Vaccine Choice and Supply<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Types of HPV and Cancer Risk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; There are at least 14 cancer-causing HPV strains, with types 16 and 18 responsible for nearly 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. HPV vaccines prevent infection from the most common high-risk strains.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vaccine Being Used: Gardasil<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; For the current nationwide campaign, the government will use Gardasil, manufactured by MSD Pharmaceuticals. The vaccine has established global efficacy and safety data.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Why Not the Indigenous Vaccine Yet<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s locally developed vaccine, Cervavac by the Serum Institute of India, is not being used at present because:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is awaiting WHO approval.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ICMR is still evaluating its effectiveness as a single-dose vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Officials indicate that a shift to Cervavac may occur in about two years, once regulatory approvals are completed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Role of GAVI and Supply Plan<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/gavi-vaccine-alliance\/\" target=\"_blank\">GAVI<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Vaccine Alliance will supply 2.6 crore doses to India for the campaign, sufficient for two years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One crore doses have already arrived.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The remaining doses will be delivered over this year and the next.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Is a Single Dose of the HPV Vaccine Sufficient<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes. In 2022, the WHO\u2019s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommended a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">single-dose HPV vaccine for girls and women up to 20 years of age<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, citing strong and lasting protection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The group found \u201cstrikingly high efficacy\u201d among children aged 9\u201314 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women above 21 are advised to take two doses six months apart, while immunocompromised individuals, including those with HIV, should ideally receive three doses \u2014 or at least two if three are not feasible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why the HPV Vaccination Campaign Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>India\u2019s High Cervical Cancer Burden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; India accounts for nearly <\/span><b>20%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of global cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among Indian women, affecting about 1.25 lakh women and causing 75,000 deaths annually.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proven Effectiveness of the HPV Vaccine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Research initially showed that the HPV vaccine prevents infection and pre-cancerous lesions. Subsequent studies confirmed that it significantly lowers cervical cancer incidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indirect Protection (Herd Immunity)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Vaccinating girls also reduces transmission of HPV to boys, protecting them against other HPV-related cancers and strengthening community-level immunity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Global Evidence: The Australia Example<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australia introduced HPV vaccination in 2007 (and extended it to boys in 2013). Within a decade:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HPV prevalence among young women dropped from 22.7% to 1.5%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among older unvaccinated women, it fell from 11.8% to 1.1%.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This demonstrates strong direct and indirect protection effects.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Long-Term Public Health Gains<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although cervical cancer rates in India are gradually declining, widespread HPV vaccination could dramatically reduce mortality and ease pressure on healthcare systems, allowing better focus on other cancers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the first HPV vaccine approval in 2006, nearly 158 countries have introduced national immunisation programmes, underscoring its global public health importance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Is This India\u2019s First HPV Immunisation Programme<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming nationwide campaign is <\/span><b>not <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s first HPV vaccination effort. Several states have previously introduced targeted immunisation programmes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>State-Level Initiatives<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sikkim (2018)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Sikkim became the first state to launch a statewide HPV vaccination drive in 2018, achieving over 95% coverage for the recommended two doses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Punjab (2016)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Punjab initiated its programme in Mansa and Bhatinda districts, later expanding to other high-burden areas. The initial phase recorded more than 97% coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Delhi (2016)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Delhi launched vaccination through the Delhi State Cancer Institute. However, the programme saw limited uptake as beneficiaries had to visit the hospital to receive the vaccine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-health\/hpv-vaccination-drive-cervical-cancer-10552021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstpost.com\/india\/swastha-nari-vision-govt-set-to-launch-hpv-vaccination-for-adolescent-girls-13983261.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">FP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HPV Vaccination Drive targets 14-year-old girls to reduce cervical cancer, India\u2019s second most common cancer among women, with WHO-backed single-dose protection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":89989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[5729,60,22,1888],"class_list":{"0":"post-89982","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-hpv-vaccination-drive","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affair","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89982"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89996,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89982\/revisions\/89996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}