As India is rolling out HPV vaccine for adolescent girls for free, experts believe it could be a gamechanger in cervical cancer cases in the country
Cancer rarely announces its arrival loudly. Cervical cancer, especially, is usually quiet in its early years. In many families, cancer begins almost invisibly – a vague symptom which is quickly dismissed, a routine check delayed, life moving forward without reason to suspect danger.
However, long before diagnosis, and before hospital corridors and treatment schedules become the norm, a viral infection may be reshaping cells silently.
India’s nationwide rollout of free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for adolescent girls attempts to interrupt that silence early, when the disease has not yet entered the story.
Firstpost spoke to Dr Kriti Hegde, Consultant – Paediatric Oncology, Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, who shared with us insights on how the vaccination drive could change the narrative of cervical cancer in the country.
HPV: A virus behind a preventable cancer
Dr Hegde says “Human Papillomavirus is one of the most widespread viral infections globally, transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact.”
According to her, most infections resolve naturally, unnoticed. Yet high-risk oncogenic strains – particularly HPV-16 and HPV-18 – behave differently. They persist within cervical epithelial cells, gradually interfering with tumour-suppressor pathways that regulate normal cellular growth.
“This process, known as cervical carcinogenesis, unfolds slowly. Precancerous lesions may develop over years without pain or warning. Life continues normally while microscopic changes accumulate,” she adds.
How the HPV vaccine stops cancer before it even starts
The expert quotes “unlike therapies encountered later in oncology care, the HPV vaccine works at the earliest biological stage. It contains virus-like particles that mimic HPV’s outer structure without carrying viral DNA. This safely trains the immune system to produce neutralising antibodies.”
“When exposure occurs later in life, these antibodies block viral entry into cervical epithelial cells, preventing infection. Without persistent infection, the cascading effects leading to dysplasia and malignancy never begin,” she explains.
In simple terms, the vaccine prevents the first step of cancer formation – a rare example of oncology intervening before disease exists.
Why adolescence?
Speaking to Firstpost, Dr Hegde shares “vaccinating around age 14 is guided by immunology, not coincidence.”
The adolescent immune system generates stronger and longer-lasting immunogenic responses compared to vaccination later in life. Equally important, protection is established before potential viral exposure.
The doctor further shares with us that early vaccination offers higher antibody response and durable protection, prevention before viral exposure occurs, significant reduction in lifetime cervical cancer risk, and population-level protection as coverage expands.
“At this stage, young adolescents are planning exams, forging friendships, and debating futures, not illness. Preventive vaccination ensures those futures remain uninterrupted,” says the oncologist.
A turning point for preventive oncology in India
Cancer treatment changes more than a patient’s body; it reshapes entire families. Waiting areas fill with anxious conversations. Parents search for reassurance. Daily routines reorganise around chemotherapy cycles and follow-up scans. These realities remain deeply familiar across oncology centres.
“The national HPV vaccination programme signals a profound shift – from reacting to cancer towards preventing it altogether. By offering free access nationwide, protection is no longer limited by awareness, geography, or financial means. Prevention becomes a collective public health promise,” says Dr Hegde.
While the current national rollout prioritises 14-year-old girls to maximise early protection at scale, medical recommendations extend beyond this single age group.
“The HPV vaccine is advised for all girls between 9 and 14 years, when immune response is strongest and protection can be established well before potential exposure. Increasingly, global scientific guidance also recognises the importance of vaccinating adolescent boys in the same age group. Immunising boys not only protects them against HPV-related cancers but also helps reduce overall viral transmission, strengthening community-level protection and moving society closer to long-term cancer prevention,” says the expert.
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