Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive for 14-year-old girls launched

Exam-focused facts from the 1 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls from Ajmer, Rajasthan.
The campaign uses a single-dose 'Gardasil 4' quadrivalent HPV vaccine.
The vaccine protects against HPV types 16, 18, 6, and 11.
The Union Health Ministry directed all states on 25 February to administer the vaccine at government health facilities including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Community Health Centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges and hospitals.