India will use Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, for protection from HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. Image for representative purposes only.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on Saturday (February 28, 2026) from Ajmer.
The campaign aims to protect 14-year-old girls across the country from cervical cancer, a disease that remains a significant health concern in India.
All States and Union Territories will virtually join the programme that will start at 11.30 a.m., the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
India will use Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, for protection from HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11.
A Health Ministry official said the vaccination will be voluntary and free of cost. The one-time vaccine will be administered at designated government health facilities, including the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges.
Cervical cancer remains the second-most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths reported annually.
Published – February 27, 2026 10:50 pm IST
