‘HPV vaccination is very important’: Ajmer schoolgirls recount meeting PM Modi at vaccine launch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls from Ajmer, in a push to strengthen preventive healthcare for women and step up efforts to combat cervical cancer.

Among those present were schoolgirls who received the vaccine in the Prime Minister’s presence and later described the experience as both reassuring and memorable.

Purvi Agarwal, one of the first beneficiaries, said she felt “very safe” after taking the shot. “We know cervical cancer causes the deaths of many women. That is why this vaccine is very important,” she said, adding that she had read about HPV and was aware of the government’s free vaccination drive.

She pointed out that the vaccine, which typically costs around Rs 4,000, being provided free of cost would ease the burden on families. Recalling her interaction with Modi, she said: “He asked us about our studies. I did not feel like I was speaking to the Prime Minister; he spoke so kindly. I will never forget this experience.”

Another student, Chanchal Meghwanshi, said she felt “completely normal” after receiving the vaccine. “I had no pain or doubts. This vaccine will protect girls from cervical cancer in the future,” she said, adding that she would encourage other girls in the 14–15 age group to get vaccinated.

She, too, interacted with the Prime Minister. “He asked about my family, my class and my exams. It did not feel like I was talking to the Prime Minister, but to someone very simple,” she said.

Under the programme, a pan-India awareness and immunisation drive will be carried out to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer by administering the HPV vaccine before potential exposure to the virus.

The vaccine has been validated and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and India’s National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization. According to official data, 160 of 194 countries have introduced HPV vaccination into their national immunisation programmes, with 90 countries adopting a single-dose schedule.

HPV vaccines are estimated to be 93–100 per cent effective in preventing cervical cancer caused by the HPV types covered under the vaccine.