- Why in news
- On 11 September 2026, the Health Ministry said India has given more than 80 lakh HPV vaccine doses under the National HPV Vaccination Campaign, launched in February 2026.
- What it is
- The National HPV Vaccination Campaign gives free, voluntary, single-dose HPV vaccine to 14-year-old girls at government health facilities, with parental consent. It aims to prevent cervical cancer, which is caused mainly by persistent infection with high-risk HPV types. Vaccination is tracked through the U-WIN digital platform.
- Target group and dose
- 14-year-old girls get one free dose, voluntarily, with parental consent, at government health facilities.
- Launch
- The Prime Minister launched the campaign in February 2026.
- Annual cohort
- About 1.2 crore girls turn 14 each year, based on Registrar General of India 2021 estimates.
- Digital monitoring
- U-WIN lets programme managers track district-level coverage and find missed beneficiaries.
- Safety arrangements
- Sessions are run under trained Medical Officers, with links to 24x7 facilities for managing rare adverse events following immunisation (AEFI).
Don’t confuse with HPV vaccine vs Universal Immunisation Programme: The HPV campaign targets one cohort of 14-year-old girls. The Universal Immunisation Programme covers infants and pregnant women for many diseases.
Don’t confuse with U-WIN vs Co-WIN: U-WIN is the digital platform for routine immunisation records. Co-WIN was built for Covid-19 vaccination.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Prevents cervical cancer, a major cancer among Indian women, through a low-cost public intervention.
- Single-dose, free delivery at government facilities improves access and equity for adolescent girls.
Problems
- Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation among parents and communities.
- Uneven coverage across States, with some still near 60 per cent.
Way forward
- Sustained community engagement through ASHAs, ANMs, teachers and doctors.
- Use U-WIN data to trace missed girls and strengthen follow-up and screening.
Put in your answer
Global adoption: 87% of upper-middle-income, 78% of lower-middle-income and 54% of low-income countries have HPV vaccine in national programmes.
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q16Basic principle of vaccine development and how vaccines work
- 2018Mains GS2 · Q7Role of community-level healthcare intervention in achieving Health for All
- 2023Prelims Q75Public health system's curative focus and state-level service organization
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the National HPV Vaccination Campaign: 1. It provides a single dose of HPV vaccine to 14-year-old girls. 2. Vaccination is compulsory for every 14-year-old girl. 3. Uttar Pradesh has vaccinated the most girls, at more than 22 lakh. 4. Mizoram and Assam have both reached 100 per cent of their identified targets. 5. Progress is monitored through the U-WIN platform.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.Under the National HPV Vaccination Campaign, 14-year-old girls receive a single dose of HPV vaccine.
True. The campaign provides single-dose vaccination to 14-year-old girls.
2.The vaccination under the campaign is compulsory for all 14-year-old girls.
False. It is voluntary and needs parental consent.
3.The campaign was launched by the Prime Minister in February 2026.
True. It was launched in February 2026 by the Prime Minister.
4.The annual cohort of 14-year-old girls is estimated at about 1.2 crore, using Registrar General of India 2021 estimates.
True. About 1.2 crore girls, per RGI 2021 estimates.
5.Bihar was the State with the highest number of girls vaccinated, at over 22 lakh.
False. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number, over 22 lakh.
6.Vaccination progress is monitored through the U-WIN platform, which helps identify missed beneficiaries.
True. U-WIN is used to monitor coverage and spot missed beneficiaries.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.