India, March 3 -- India is poised to roll out the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for adolescent girls in the coming weeks. With this step, the country will incorporate all 13 antigens recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for national immunisation programmes. It is a milestone that signifies both culmination and transition - the completion of India's childhood immunisation basket, and a decisive shift towards recognising adolescence as a critical window for preventive health.

The HPV vaccine will also be the first in India's Universal Immunisation Programme to be offered exclusively to adolescents. Until now, national immunisation efforts have focused primarily on infants, young children, and pregnant women. This policy ...