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India Turns to Schools to Boost HPV Vaccinations After Slow Start, Gwalior Case Under Probe

A school-led push seeks to lift uptake after slow starts in cities such as Delhi.

Overview

  • Operational guidelines task the education ministry and national boards with using UDISE+ data, nodal teachers and parent meetings to mobilise 14-year-old girls, with enrolment and certification managed on the U-WIN platform.
  • Delhi recorded only 285 vaccinations in the first 10 days of the drive, with officials pointing to school exams, low awareness and online misinformation as key obstacles.
  • Five girls in Gwalior reported vomiting, fever and dizziness after receiving the HPV shot and were hospitalised but are stable, and health authorities have constituted an investigation; families allege poor information and consent.
  • The national campaign, launched February 28, offers a single free dose of MSD’s Gardasil 4 during a 90‑day blitz before integration into routine immunisation, targeting the annual cohort of girls who have turned 14.
  • Local rollouts continue with district launches in Mysuru and Indore—where 38 centres are active—and Navi Mumbai’s civic campaign starting today across five hospitals and 26 urban health centres.