Chennai, Dec 13—Tamil Nadu announced it will launch a state‑wide HPV vaccination programme by the end of January, becoming the first Indian state to provide the shots free of charge to adolescent girls as part of its effort to curb cervical cancer.
The rollout will eventually touch all 38 districts, but the first wave will target four high‑incidence areas—Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruvannamalai and Dharmapuri—where the cancer burden is greatest. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, speaking to reporters at a nearby event, revealed that 3.38 lakh girls across the state will benefit from the initiative.
During the initial phase, about 27,000 girls in the selected districts will receive the first dose. The state has earmarked Rs 36 crore in its last Budget for a programme aimed at girls aged nine to fourteen.
“The tender for the vaccine has been closed and the procurement process is almost finished; once the paperwork is wrapped up, we will distribute the shots and officially kick off the programme by the end of next month,” Subramanian said.
Training sessions for doctors and nurses on administering the vaccine commenced earlier this week. The drive will first focus on 14‑year‑olds before expanding to include those between nine and fourteen years old. Each eligible child will receive two doses, starting with students enrolled in government and government‑aided schools.
In the private sector, a single dose of the HPV vaccine can cost close to Rs 2,000, so the public rollout represents a major public health step forward.
Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s successes in HIV prevention, the minister noted that while India’s national prevalence rate sits at 0.23 percent, the state’s rate is only 0.16 percent. All pregnant women in the state are screened for HIV and syphilis to stop mother‑to‑child transmission. Tamil Nadu operates 2,600 Nambikkai Maiyams (Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres) and 81 Anti‑Retroviral Therapy clinics.
The minister also disclosed that authorities have taken strict action against unsafe practices such as “blood art,” resulting in the closure of such shops and ongoing oversight of needle safety and disposal. He said that continuous awareness campaigns are underway with the goal of making Tamil Nadu free of HIV/AIDS by 2030.
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