Free HPV vaccine India 2026: eligibility and how to get it
The free HPV vaccine India programme launched on 28 February 2026 and covers girls aged 14, with roughly 1.15 crore girls eligible every year at designated government health facilities. It is a single dose, it is voluntary, and written consent from a parent or guardian is required before it is given. The national programme uses a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, and every dose is recorded on U-WIN. Girls outside the 14-year window, boys, and adult women can still be vaccinated privately, where a dose costs roughly ₹2,000 to ₹10,500 depending on the brand.
Who qualifies for the free HPV vaccine India programme
Quick answer: Girls aged 14 years, at designated government health facilities, free of cost, with parental consent. Girls who turned 15 within 90 days of the launch were also included in the initial intensive campaign, and the vaccine continues to be offered on routine immunisation days after that drive.
The free HPV vaccine India campaign was launched by the Prime Minister from Ajmer, Rajasthan, with states and union territories holding simultaneous launch events. It brings India in line with more than 160 countries that already include HPV vaccination in their national schedules, and it is the country’s first vaccine introduced specifically to prevent a cancer.
Who | Cost | Where | Doses |
Girls aged 14 | Free | Government health facilities, school sessions | 1 |
Girls aged 9–14 (outside programme) | Paid | Private paediatric clinics | 2 (0, 6 months) |
Girls and women 15–26 | Paid | Private clinics, gynaecology OPD | 3 (0, 1–2, 6 months) |
Women 27–45 | Paid, after consultation | Private clinics | 3 |
Boys 9–14 | Paid | Private clinics (IAP recommends) | 2 |
Why 14, and why only girls, in the government programme
The vaccine works best before any exposure to the virus, which is why adolescence is the target age worldwide. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women, and India accounts for roughly a quarter of the world’s cervical cancer deaths so a girls-first national programme delivers the largest public health return for the money available.
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics separately recommends HPV vaccination for boys aged 9–14, since HPV also causes throat and other cancers in men and vaccinated boys reduce onward transmission. That remains a private, paid option for now.
Consent is genuinely required
Vaccination under the programme is voluntary, and health workers must obtain informed consent from a parent or guardian before administering it. If your daughter’s school sends a consent form, read it, sign it and return it an unsigned form is the single most common reason an eligible girl is skipped.
Do this now: If you have a daughter turning 14 this year, ask at your nearest PHC, urban health centre or her school which day HPV sessions are held.
How registration, sessions and records work
Quick answer: No separate application is needed. Registration happens at the session itself, using Aadhaar or another identity document plus a mobile number, and the dose is recorded on U-WIN with a QR-coded certificate sent by SMS.
What to carry to a free HPV vaccine India session
The girl’s Aadhaar card, or school ID and birth certificate if Aadhaar is unavailable
A parent’s mobile number for U-WIN registration and the certificate link
The signed consent form, if the school or centre has issued one
Her existing vaccination card, so the dose is entered in the same place as the rest
Getting the certificate afterwards
After the dose is entered, U-WIN generates a verifiable e-vaccination certificate that can be downloaded using the registered mobile number. Save it immediately. This is the record she may need a decade later for a college health form or a student visa, and it is far easier to download now than to reconstruct later as anyone who has dealt with a lost vaccination card will confirm.
If she is unwell on the day
A mild cold or low fever is not a reason to postpone. A high fever or acute illness is reschedule to the next session. Pregnancy is a reason to defer, and any severe allergic reaction to a previous HPV dose is a contraindication.
Do this now: Download the U-WIN certificate the same week and store it with her other health records.
If you missed the free window: costs and choices
Quick answer: Outside the programme, a dose costs roughly ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 for the Indian-made Cervavac, ₹3,500 to ₹4,500 for Gardasil-4 and up to about ₹10,500 for Gardasil-9. The number of doses depends on the age at which the course starts, not on the brand.
The dose rule that saves money
Starting before the 15th birthday means two doses, six months apart. Starting at 15 or later means three doses over six months. Starting earlier is therefore both cheaper and more effective a genuine argument for not waiting.
The World Health Organization has found that a single dose gives strong protection in the 9–20 age group, which is the basis for India’s single-dose national schedule.
Vaccine | Strains covered | Typical private cost per dose |
Cervavac (Serum Institute of India) | 4 | ₹2,000–₹2,500 |
Gardasil-4 | 4 | ₹3,500–₹4,500 |
Gardasil-9 | 9 | ₹9,000–₹10,500 |
Adult women and the 45-year limit
HPV vaccines are licensed for women up to age 45. Benefit falls with age and with prior exposure, so it becomes a decision to make with a gynaecologist rather than an automatic recommendation. It is one of several vaccines Indian adults are eligible for and rarely think about our guide to the adult vaccination schedule in India covers the rest.
What the vaccine does not replace
Vaccination does not remove the need for cervical screening later in life. HPV vaccines cover the strains behind most cervical cancers, not all of them. Screening from age 30, by HPV testing or Pap smear as advised, remains part of the plan.
The HPV dose is also now formally part of the national schedule see where it sits in the full vaccination schedule for children in India.
In simple terms: The government now gives 14-year-old girls one free injection that prevents most cervical cancer. You need to sign a consent form, and the dose is recorded online so you can download the certificate. If your daughter is older or you want it for a son, you can still get it at a private clinic by paying.
When to see a doctor
Speak to a doctor before the dose if your daughter:
Is pregnant, or thinks she might be HPV vaccination is deferred during pregnancy
Has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous HPV dose or to yeast
Is on chemotherapy, long-term steroids or other immunosuppressive treatment
Has an acute illness with high fever on the scheduled day
Has a bleeding disorder or is on blood thinners, which affects injection technique
After the dose, fainting is the most common event in adolescents, so she should sit for 15 minutes before leaving.
Emergency: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or lips, or collapse within minutes of the injection needs emergency care immediately.
FAQs
Who is eligible for the free HPV vaccine India programme in 2026?
Girls aged 14 years are eligible for a free single dose at designated government health facilities across all states and union territories, with around 1.15 crore girls covered annually. Girls who turned 15 within 90 days of the February 2026 launch were included in the initial campaign. Vaccination is voluntary and requires written consent from a parent or guardian.
Is one dose of the HPV vaccine really enough?
For this age group, current evidence says yes. The World Health Organization has concluded that a single dose provides strong, durable protection for girls in the 9 to 20 year range, and India’s national programme is built on that basis. Older adolescents and adults starting the course after their 15th birthday are still advised to take three doses.
Can boys get the free HPV vaccine India offers?
Not under the government programme, which currently covers girls aged 14. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics does recommend HPV vaccination for boys aged 9 to 14, because HPV causes throat, anal and penile cancers in men and vaccinating boys reduces transmission. Families who want it for a son can obtain it privately at a cost per dose.
What does the HPV vaccine cost privately in India?
Cervavac, made by the Serum Institute of India, is the most affordable at roughly ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 per dose. Gardasil-4 costs around ₹3,500 to ₹4,500 and Gardasil-9 around ₹9,000 to ₹10,500. Two doses are needed if the course starts before the 15th birthday and three doses if it starts later, so starting early costs less overall.
Does the HPV vaccine have serious side effects?
Serious side effects are rare. More than 500 million doses have been given worldwide since 2006, and the usual reactions are a sore arm, mild fever, headache and occasional fainting in teenagers. HPV vaccines are among the most closely studied vaccines in use. Any severe or unusual reaction should be reported to the vaccinator for AEFI review.
Download Seht — free on iOS and Android
Seht lets you store her U-WIN certificate, vaccination card and consent paperwork in one family health record, so it is on your phone when it is needed.
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Sources and references
Press Information Bureau, Government of India — Nationwide HPV Vaccination Programme launched at Ajmer, 28 February 2026. https://www.pib.gov.in
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — HPV vaccination under the Universal Immunization Programme and U-WIN recording. https://www.mohfw.gov.in
World Health Organization — Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper and single-dose evidence review. https://www.who.int
Indian Academy of Pediatrics, ACVIP — HPV vaccination recommendations for girls and boys. https://iapindia.org
Indian Council of Medical Research, National Cancer Registry Programme — Cervical cancer burden in India. https://www.icmr.gov.in
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Seht helps families stay informed, but is not a substitute for professional healthcare guidance.
