Telangana to rollout free HPV vaccination programme for girls aged 14 and 15 at end of February

Telangana is preparing to motorboat a statewide Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination programme aimed astatine protecting teen girls from cervical cancer. The State has completed logistical preparations, including grooming aesculapian unit and stocking vaccine doses, and is awaiting ceremonial clearance from the Union Government, a elder wellness authoritative said. The rollout is expected to statesman towards the extremity of February.

As portion of the initiative, the State Government has procured 4.6 lakh doses of the quadrivalent Gardasil 4 vaccine. The vaccine volition beryllium administered escaped of outgo to girls aged 14 and 15 years astatine Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and different nationalist wellness facilities crossed Telangana.

Protection against 4 astir communal crab causing strains

The quadrivalent HPV vaccine offers extortion against 4 of the astir communal cancer-causing strains of the virus. Health officials said the bulk procurement of the vaccine is portion of the State’s strategy to code the increasing load of cervical cancer. In the backstage sector, the vaccine typically costs betwixt ₹2,000 and ₹4,000 per dose, making the escaped nationalist rollout a important intervention.

To guarantee creaseless implementation astatine the grassroots level, the Health section has trained astir 1,200 to 1,500 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) from crossed the State. These unit volition beryllium liable for administering the vaccine and managing immunisation sessions astatine the PHCs.

Cervical crab incidence

The planned rollout comes against the backdrop of a dependable emergence successful cervical crab cases and related deaths successful Telangana. According to information shared by Anupriya Patel, Minister of State successful the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, successful the Lok Sabha connected February 13, 2026, the State recorded 3,169 cervical crab cases successful 2021, which accrued to 3,185 successful 2022, 3,201 successful 2023, 3,217 successful 2024 and 3,233 successful 2025.

Cervical crab mortality has besides shown an upward trend. Telangana reported 1,711 deaths successful 2021, followed by 1,720 successful 2022, 1,729 successful 2023, 1,737 successful 2024 and 1,746 successful 2025, arsenic per the data.

“The HPV vaccination programme is expected to play a cardinal relation successful reducing aboriginal incidence of cervical crab by preventing corruption astatine an early age, peculiarly among teen girls,” the elder authoritative added.